Something new
by Koomahana
Summary: A certain someone time traveling to save the nine least likely people in the word, but they were so important to the fourth great shinobi war... added more then I expected, still in progress
1. Chapter 1

**Something New**

Chapter 1: starting out

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Koomahana

Something new…

Something no one saw…

Something everyone else had but over looked…

…A monster or child?

She wanted something everyone had… but never saw…

Something new… a new world… a new home…

That's something she wanted…

So she when she woke, she thanked her healers and left to start collecting…

One by one she picked them up…

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She stole them from the greedy hands of men…

_S__he __heard something snap as she fell and cried out__,_

_She only wanted her parents_…

**S****he ****only wanted a family**…

**She didn't want to be alone anymore**…

_**She only wanted to be safe**_…

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She stole them from fearful men…

_he only wanted to play_…

_he only wanted to give the ball back_…

_he didn't want to be alone anymore_…

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She stole them from a spiteful village…

_please don't hate me_…

_why am I alone?_

_what did I do wrong?_

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She stole them from power hungry fools…

_but we're not monsters_…

**we're more then just weapons**…

…_**right?**_

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She stole them from hateful men…

_I only want to play... but he comes out__,_

_why is the seal broken?_

**I only want to learn**…

**I only want to play**…

_**I only want to be accepted**_…

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There was only one she could not steal away…

_"__Y__o! What__'d__ you want?" he asked as he stared up at the pretty lady__ smiling down at him._

_"__T__o take you from this place..." she whispered, a smile on her face as she offered a hand__._

_"__B__ut I like it here..." he replied, for once not rhyming his words as he stared up at her, she tilted her head curiously__._

_"I like it here__,__" he repeated__, knowing that now was not the time to play jokes and that the woman was completely serious.__ "__I__t'll get hard some days but that's okay, someday I'll be accepted by everyone, not by just one__.__"_

_"You truly wish to stay?" she asked again, her hand still held out, he nodded__. __"__Y__ou wish to stand by only one man?" she asked__.__"F__or that is all that stands beside you__ for now__, this is what you want?"_

_"Yes ma'am!" he grinned and __threw__ his hands behind his head__.__ "I'd like to meet the others some day, but I'm happy here."__ S__he smiled and pulled her hand up slightly, before making a fist and turning it down as if she wanted to bump fists with him._

_"__T__ake this," She said with her soft smile__.__ "__W__hen you can no longer stand, remember us."__ H__e held his hand out and she opened hers in return,__a tiny little trinket fell into his palm__._

_"__R__emember us," She whispered as she stepped away from him__.__ "__R__emember there will always be a home for you..."_

_"__H__uh?" __He tilted his head at the woman, before examining __the tiny trinket__ in his palm._

_It __was a multicolored__ stone..._

_It __thrummed with an __excited__ chakra_…

_A__ welcoming chakra_…

_A__ warm chakra_…

…_A__ familer chakra__._

_"__W__e will wait for you in the land between the five nations," She whispered__ a soft smile playing on her lips.__ "__Y__ou will always be welcomed..."__ S__he jumped away and faded from view before she even landed, her voice echoed in his head as her chakra faded from his perception__._

_"B!" a familer voice cried out, he turned and watched as a worried friend came rushing at him__._

_"B!" strong arms wrapped around him tightly__.__ "__A__re you okay?!" the older boy held him by the shoulders, his eyes wide and worried__._

_"Yo bro!" B grinned up at him__.__ "__W__hat's up? __W__hy you panikin? __What're __you thinken?"_

_"__A__ woman came by and said she was going to take you away," A said as he wrapped his arms around his adouptive brother again__.__ "She said we weren't taking care of you..." _

_"Tis' cool bro! __Y__ou missed her too!"_

_"What?!" A looked down at B for a moment__, his brow twitching.__ "We just missed her?" B nodded his head__._

_"__T__he deal was pretty sweet," B replied with a cocky grin__, knowing that A was both curious and quickly approaching furious.__ "__B__ut I told her no, she understood."_

_"__...W__hat was the deal?" A asked curious as to what the strange woman could want with B, other then the obvious__._

_"She wanted to take me home," B answered, his __cocky __grin __turned soft as if he were remembering a fond memory__, his glasses__ slid down a little,__reveling __his __thoughtful brown__ eyes__.__ "__S__he said she was keeping her children safe__.__"_

_"Her children?" A asked__, his hands tightened slightly around the smaller boy._

_"__T__he others like me," B answered__, his grin widening.__ "__T__he other Jinchuriki, she's collecting __us__ so that __we__ won't know sadness__. __She says that __we__ weren't treated well because __we__ carried the guardians of __our__ villages__. S__o she took them away to keep them safe.__ S__he says that a war is coming, one that will steal all of us away__." A thought his heart had stopped at the that, if that was true then he had better do something to prevent it; especially if his little brother's life was at stake._

"_S__he said that we had to be ready__." B continued softly, not noticing his pale faced older brother. "She__ said that she wanted to protect us from the monster coming__. B__ut she could only do that if we choose to stand with her.__" Again B's smile faded slightly as he remembered the strange woman's words, his shoulders slumping as he recalled how serious he was. "I__n return we'd have a home__. W__e'd be accepted because everyone around us is the same as us__. T__hat __and __no one would hurt us for being different,__because we wouldn't __**be**__ different."_

_B grinned cheekily up at A__. __"I told her it'd be nice to meet __the __others like me," he said__. __"But I __w__as happy here."_

…

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…

She collected what everyone wanted but had always over looked…

She had collected and gathered them all…save one…

The only one who didn't need saving…

The only one who was already accepted…

"Come along children," She said as she took the hands of the youngest two. "It's time to head home now."

"He's not coming?" a girl with long yellow hair asked, a shyer teal haired girl hid half heartedly behind her.

"He's happy," She replied with a gentile smile. "He has a brother there that loves him despite everything within the village."

"Will we be happy?" the little red haired boy to the woman's right asked softly. "You said that we must train to protect the guardians… but will _they_ protect us?"

"Anything is possible." She replied as they began to walk. "Weather you're guardians choose to protect you is up to them." She winked playfully down at the tiny boy to her right. "But I'd think that's such a silly question. After all, he's already protecting you." The tiny boy blushed as he glanced at the gourd on his back, it was the same size he was and reminded him of his home, of the people he left behind.

"Then we'll protect you!" said the bright haired little boy on her other side, his blue eyes shinning brightly up at her. "After all, someone has to protect the guardian of the guardians!"

"He's right, Nee-chan," the teal haired girl said with a smile as she stepped out from behind her friend. "We'll protect the guardian of the guardians!" The woman smiled at them, her green eyes shining with unshed tears.

"Then let us go home." The woman said as her hood shifted back a little with the wind, letting pink locks out to fly and play with the passing wind.

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…

**what do you think? **

**if you think there will be another chapter there wont be and if you want one you'll have to either make it you're self or find someone who will, either way I though this up in a couple of seconds and wrote it up in a few minutes...**

**there fore I have no plans on continuing this :)**

**please comment and review!**

**Page 5**


	2. Chapter 2

**Something New**

Chapter 2: a new home

Koomahana

**Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine; you want the real stuff get off this site**

_Thoughts_

_Paragraphs are memories_

…

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…

They had traveled none stop for a week to reach the place between the five nations. The land they were in now was so different from the lands they had traveled through, it was both different from their home villages and yet it was similar to their various homes. They were high in the mounts, but it was heavily forested, the air was cold and dry yet they came across thick whips of mist. They crossed rivers, hot springs, and half-frozen lakes.

It was as if the strange land didn't know what it wanted to be, did it want to be warm or cold? Did it want endless forests or endless grasslands? Did it want to be rocky and mountainous or swampy and misty?

After another week's worth of travel where they went further and further into the strangely bipolar land, the woman with the four children traveled through the land until they came across a large staircase that was guarded by three large crimson Tori gates.

"Our home is at the top of those stairs," the woman smiled at them and led the way, holding onto the sickly Yugito Nii as she started up the stairs. "Come on, we're almost there." The children each hurried after her, once they came to the top of the stairs the children were physical exhausted. But were too amazed to really feel how towered they were.

They felt as if they were looking down on a beautiful village, complete with open hot springs, wide, open roads, houses that were built in the old style of the first and second Kage's, large sweeps of farming land and endless, beautiful flowering cheery blossom trees that lined every road, every path and rested on every corner. In the very center of the semi-large village, stood the only second story building within sight of the entire village.

As the woman and the four children walked down from the staircase they had just walked up, they could hear shouting and raised voices. Gaara looked back up at the stairs they were descending fearfully, catching sight of his fearful look, the blond boy reached forward and clasped his hand encouragingly.

"It'll be okay," Fū called softly as she took Gaara's other hand and smiled at him shyly. "We'll protect you and each other." Gaara took another look up at the stairs and nodded softly to himself, he turned and headed down the stairs with Fū and Naruto holding his hands. As they entered the village, the three children stopped to stare wide-eyed at the rows and rows of bowing villagers.

"Welcome home," the villagers greeted with smiles and giggles, the three children looked at each other in confusion before they hurried after the woman still carrying their sickly sister on her back. They could hear the whispers of the villagers, they were hurried and fearful, but soft and excited; yet all they could hear were 'guardians' this and 'guardians' this. It made the three children feel like they finally found a place where they were accepted, the woman's words were true. As they walked through the village, their eyes wide and wondering, the children watched with curiosity as they slowly walked through the gates of the second story house and then proceeded to the sliding rice paper doors. The second the doors slid open the children felt a cool breeze rush out and cares their cheeks, making them each giggle at the feeling.

"Welcome home Roushi-kun," a soft whispery voice echoed out to them the woman unconsciously straightened, the children each looked up at her curiously. "What has happened to the little one?" the whispery voice sounded from the darkness of the house, the woman stepped into the semidarkness of the house, a puff of smoke enveloping her as she went.

"Forgive me Nee-chan" a boy's voice sounded from the smoke.

"Nee-chan?" Naruto called out in confusion, one hand tightening on Gaara's as he stepped closer to the red haired boy and waved his other hand in front of his face. "What—?" whatever Naruto had to say died in his throat at the smoke cleared revealed a tall red haired boy in place of the woman who guided them to the village.

"Yugito Nii seems to have eaten or been bitten by something," the boy said as he continued to move forward, barely even stopping to see if the three children would fallow him. "I didn't find any wounds on her, but I didn't look anywhere I wasn't supposed to."

"Let me take a look," the soft voice sounded, the three children twitched as a tall woman stepped out from around the corner, revealing herself to them. "Hello children," the woman greeted them kindly, "Why don't you each take a seat while I take a look at your sister?" Roushi steeped forward and kneeled beside the woman, letting her crouch to place a single green glowing palm against Yugito's back

"Who are you?" Fū asked softly, shifting slightly in her place, not liking how the woman just accepted them so openly. The woman giggled as she straightened from her crouch, she raised one hand pushed back her long brown hair from her face, revealing warm chocolate orbs and violet stripes on her cheeks, a single large bar on each side of her face.

"Roushi-kun please take Yugito-chan to mother please. There isn't much that I can do for her." Roushi nodded his head and rose from his crouch gracefully, and continued on down the hall without question.

"My name is Rin Nohara," the woman said as she turned to look at them, a soft smile stretching across her face as she regarded them. "And I am the same as you."

…

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…

**Thoughts are helpful**

**Opinions are wonderful**

**Helpful criticism****is**** lovely! Just don't cripple me okay?**

**Please no cursing!**

**And don't forget to review!**

**Page 2**


	3. Chapter 3

**Something New**

Chapter 3: meeting Kaa-chan

Koomahana

**Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine; you want the real stuff get off this site**

_Thoughts_

_Paragraphs are memories_

…

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…

Recap

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…

"Let me take a look," the soft voice sounded, the three children twitched as a tall woman stepped out from around the corner, revealing herself to them.

"Hello children," the woman greeted them kindly, "Why don't you each take a seat while I take a look at your sister?" Roushi steeped forward and kneeled beside the woman, letting her crouch to place a single green glowing palm against Yugito's back

"Who are you?" Fū asked softly, shifting slightly in her place, not liking how the woman just accepted them so openly. The woman giggled as she straightened from her crouch, she raised one hand pushed back her long brown hair from her face, revealing warm chocolate orbs and violet stripes on her cheeks, a single large bar on each side of her face.

"Roushi-kun please take Yugito-chan to mother please. There isn't much that I can do." Roushi nodded his head and rose from his crouch gracefully, and continued on down the hall without question.

"My name is Rin Nohara," the woman said as she turned to look at them, a soft smile stretching across her face as she regarded them. "And I am the same as you."

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End Recap

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"Huh?" Naruto blinked up at her curiously. "What do you mean by that?" the woman giggled and waved a hand at them to enter as she returned to the room she had been in before they arrived.

"I'm a guardian as well," Rin said as the three children shyly fallowed after her, she waved at the nearby table for them to sit at. "Please sit, lunch is almost done and the other two should be here soon."

"The other two?" Fū asked softly as she took a see between the two boys.

"Yes," Rin nodded at the girl as she brought over a plate of rice. "There are nine spirit guardians in total," Rin informed them. "But because of me there are ten guardians instead of just nine."

"I don't understand," Naruto mumbled as he stared at the plate of rice hungrily. "why do you keep calling us guardians?"

"You don't know?" Rin asked surprised as she set down another plate in front of the children, Fū and Naruto shook their heads together. When Rin's eyes landed on Gaara in question, he merely shifted uncomfortable. "I suppose I could tell you," Rin said thought fully as she straightened and went back to the kitchen counter for another plate. "But then I would have to ask you three to help me set the table." She giggled as both Fū and Naruto jumped to their feet and hurried over to help her.

"So Rin-san—" Naruto started as he walked back to the table carefully

"Rin is just fine," Rin said cutting the boy off with a grin and light chuckle. "You could even call me Nee-chan if you want."

"R-really?" Naruto asked with a bright blush on his tanned cheeks, Rin giggled softly and nodded her head in agreement. "Then Nee-chan won't you tell us just what a spirit guardian is?"

"Hai I will, as soon as the other two walk through the door," Rin stood and backed up a few steps to point at the front door. "In five, four, three, two, o—" before Rin could finish counting the door opened and loud ringing filled the air, two children crashed into the house and Rin rushed forward to tend to them.

"Han! Han!" Rin called out as she shook the shoulder a boy a few years older then them, a large white cloth covering his head and crimson face mask covering his nose and mouth. "Han!" Rin called out again, tears prickling her eyes. "Han! Wake up! What's wrong? What happened?!"

"Nee-chan!" Roushi shouted as he burst from down the hall, two Katanas his hands. "It's the south wall! I saw smoke from Kaa-chan's room!"

"Oh no, of all the times!" Rin groaned as she pulled the white caped boy into her arms and quickly pulled the other boy into her arms as well. "Roushi quickly get the children to Kaa-chan, I'll try to evacuate everyone else!"

"Right," Roushi said as he pulled Han over his shoulder and pulled the other child close to his body. "Be careful Nee-chan," Roushi warned as Rin spun on her heal, both of Roushi's swords in her hands and hurried out the door. "Hurry up!" Roushi ordered as he started down the hall, "All three of you ahead of me! We gotta get to Kaa-chan!" Fū, Gaara and Naruto didn't bother to question him as they hurried from the table and rushed down the hall with Roushi hot on their heals.

"The blue wall!" Roushi called out, making the three children skid to a stop. "Turn the golden bird to the right three times then one click to the left!" Fū reached forward, quickly took the enameled bird on the wall, turned it three times to right, and then left for one click. The wall dropped back from them, revealing a large door entice to a darkness that was slightly terrifying to the small teal haired girl who took an unsure step back.

"Quite staring and jump!" Roushi ordered kicking Gaara in the back, Naruto yelped as he reached forward for his friend, Fū quickly mimicking him; but the other two weren't strong enough to keep the red head from falling, all three children tumbled and tumbled down and down into the darkness, their screaming marring the darkness. They heard Roushi give out a loud curse as he through the two boys he was carrying in after them and the wall closed after him.

"Roushi!" Fū cried out in fear, one hand out stretched towards the door where she last saw the red haired boy.

"Hold on!" Gaara shouted, it wasn't long before Fū felt her self-stop moving, something light and soft and itchy like sand catching her. "Naruto, Fū are you alright?" Gaara asked in the darkness.

"I'm fine," Naruto grumbled sorely, "Did you catch the other two?"

"Yeah barely," Gaara sighed, bringing the other two boys closer to them. "Fū? Are you alright?"

"No I love being dropped into a dark room with no ground in sight!" Fū snapped out sarcastically, tears dropping from her orange eyes. "What was Roushi-san thinking?!"

"He wasn't" Naruto grumbled lowly.

"He was trying to protect us," Gaara said softly, catching the other two's attention instantly.

"What do you mean?" Fū asked softly, suddenly wishing that she hadn't asked the question.

"I mean that Roushi-san hadn't left our side for even a second while on the trip here," Gaara said as he shifted to look around himself curiously. "Yet when we came here he only left our side for a few minuets and that was with Rin-san looking over us. Before he got us all falling down here, Roushi was clouding the hallway behind us and carrying those two while he was at it."

"So?" Naruto asked with a frown, even though he was starting to get a picture he wanted to get the answer quickly.

"So Naruto-san, Roushi-san said that the south wall had black smoke." Gaara mumbled as he looked out over the edge of his floating sand. "That means the village is under attach. Roushi did what he did to protect us and I'm fairly sure he would have fallowed us had he not have had to dodge that kunai knife."

"What knife?" Fū asked lowly, rubbing at her eyes to make the tears stop. "I didn't see any knifes."

"I did," Naruto grumble dejectedly. "I saw one fly into the house after we went down the hall, and then I saw another fly past Roushi before he tossed these two in after us."

"I think that's why Roushi-san didn't fallow after us," Gaara said softly. "Plus Rin-san ordered him to take us to their mother."

"You think this is the way to their mother?" Naruto asked in bewilderment, not quite believing that this would be the way to Rin's mother.

"Anything's passable," Gaara mumbled, the memory of his sister flashing in his mind's eye.

"_Anything's passable Gaara!" the blonde smiled at the little boy as she handed him a stuffed bear. "Maybe when we're older, we'll see more of each other!"_

_I miss Temari-nee already,_ Gaara sighed as he turned to clasp onto Naruto's and Fū's hands reassuringly. _But when I go back to Suna, I know I'll be strong enough to protect her this time._

"That's a good saying child," a voice sounded in the darkness.

"Who's there?" Naruto and Gaara shouted together as they turned towards the voice, Fū immanently taking a protective crouch over the two knocked out boys.

"I am the one Rin-chan and Roushi-kun call kaa-san," the voice giggled, suddenly there was a lit up pathway a few feet below them. "Why don't you come and visit with me?"

"Why should we?" Naruto asked suspiciously, his blue eyes narrowed at the lit doorway just a few feet up the pathway.

"I can't move from my place," the woman giggled at them. "I couldn't stop you if you wished to leave, just as I couldn't stop you from hurting me if you truly wished too."

The three children turned to look at each other, not that they could see anything more then each other's outlines, but it made them feel better.

"It couldn't hurt to see," Fū mumbled softly, hesitantly. Slowly the two boys agreed and Gaara lowed them all down the pathway. He helped Naruto and Fū down from his cloud of sand, but he kept the two boys on it and let them sleep as they each turned and approached the doorway where the woman's voice was apparently coming from.

…

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…

**Thoughts are helpful**

**Opinions are wonderful**

**Helpful criticism****is**** lovely! Just don't cripple me okay?**

**Please no cursing!**

**And don't forget to review!**

**Page 5**


	4. Chapter 4

**Something New**

Chapter 4: Introductions

Koomahana

**Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine; you want the real stuff get off this site**

_Thoughts_

_Paragraphs are memories_

…

* * *

…

Recap

…

* * *

…

"Who's there?" Naruto and Gaara shouted together as they turned towards the voice, Fū immanently taking a protective crouch over the two knocked out boys.

"I am the one Rin and Roushi call kaa-san," the voice giggled, suddenly there was a lit up pathway a few feet below them. "Why don't you come and visit with me?"

"Why should we?" Naruto asked suspiciously, his blue eyes narrowed at the lit doorway just a few feet up the pathway.

"I can't move from my place," the woman giggled at them. "I couldn't stop you if you wished to leave, just as I couldn't stop you from hurting me if you truly wished too."

The three children turned to look at each other, not that they could see anything more then each other's outlines, but it made them feel better.

"It couldn't hurt to see," Fū mumbled softly, hesitantly. Slowly the two boys agreed and Gaara lowed them all down the pathway. He helped Naruto and Fū down from his cloud of sand, but he kept the two boys on it and let them sleep as they each turned and approached the doorway where the woman's voice was apparently coming from.

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End Recap

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Rin ran through the streets of her the village, both of the swords she had taken from Roushi strapped to her back, her long pale skirt was cut and slit up her sides and her long sleeves were pulled back by the rope she used to tie the two swords to her back. She went from injured villager to injured villager, picking them up, healing them and sending them to the underground bunker as quickly as passable. Any shinobi she came across that wasn't wearing the familiar colors of the village or the symbol she had grown o accustomed to got knocked out and teleported to another location that was more then a week's travel from the village.

"Rin-chan!" Rin skidded to a halt and turned to see an elderly woman hobbling towards her hurriedly. "Rin-chan there seems to be no end to them, I can't even find my granddaughter anywhere!" Rin stared curiously at the wrinkled old woman, she didn't recognize the old woman and the names she rattled off weren't familiar either. Rin continued to stare at the old woman who was vibrating with energy as she neared her, something wasn't right with the old woman. No matter what Rin tried, none of the villagers would call her anything else then 'Hime-sama' or 'Nohara-sama'. Yet this wrinkly old woman just called her 'Rin-chan' something that only her teammates had ever called her, even her 'kaa-chan' called her by her given name without any suffixes attached.

"Rin-chan is everything alright?" The old woman asked as she was now within reaching distance, Rin blinked at her and gave her best smile.

"Yes Baa-chan I'm just fine," Rin said as she turned towards her tilted her head to the side, her eyes surviving her surroundings with an almost curious air. "It's a little strange Baa-chan," Rin commented off handedly, noting how the woman fringed curiosity, stepping closer to her then any of the other villagers normally dared to.

"I know just about everyone in this village." Here Rin's eyes hardened on the old woman, one hand reached up to one of her swords as another rested just above her kunai pouch, her stance widened and she crouched into a low battle stance. "But I don't recognize _you_." The old woman stumbled to a stop, her hand stretched out towards Rin as if she intended to pull the younger girl towards whoever she was speaking about previously.

"Who are you?" Rin asked glaring at the disguised shinobi just feet away from her, Rin counted to five before she readied herself to strike but the woman just straightened and gave out a low, deep chuckle. It was too low to belong to a little old woman, and Rin found her eyes narrowing at the sound.

"You've grown Rin-chan," the old woman commented in a young man's voice, the look on the woman's face spoke of familiarity and sadness. Rin pressed her lips tightly together, not understanding the woman's words, the old woman heaved a sigh and let the transformation jutsu go. Rin hissed as an explosion of smoke enveloped her and the old woman, sensing something lunge at her, Rin jumped out of the smoke and quickly substituted herself just for safety sakes.

Rin watched from her safety place hidden under a nearby roof and out of sight, her double landed on a roof and not far from her stood a familiar boy with spiky gray hair and a chunin jacket.

"Kakashi?" Rin called out in confusion from her place on the red-tailed roof. "What in the seven hells are you doing here?"

"I should be the one to ask you that," Kakashi replied coldly, his visible eye narrowed at her. "I thought you died."

"Last time I checked you thought a lot of things about me," Rin shot back unamused and unafraid. "In fact I recall a certain someone calling me _annoying_." Kakashi flinched at the reminder, true they had been children and he really just didn't know how to handle anyone other then his teacher; Kakashi was often colder to those of his own generation.

"If you were alive, why didn't you come home?" Kakashi asked taking a hesitant step forward, Rin readied herself and lowered her own stance, her eyes narrowed in at him.

"Because I was in and out of a coma for two years after they tried to retract the Sanbi from me." Rin replied coldly, her eyes hard. Kakashi flinched again, regret and remorse shinning in his one good eye.

"You still should have returned when you were stronger," Kakashi replied. "Sensei and Obito would have wanted that." Rin nodded, her eyes softening at the memory of her two other teammates.

"That still doesn't change much," Rin replied softly. "You know Danzo would have gotten his hands on me eventually." Kakashi twitched again at the name, and confusion consumed his person, making Rin wonder if her old teammate really didn't know.

"You didn't know?" Rin asked softly, "I would have thought that you'd heard about it by now..."

"Heard about what?" Kakashi asked taking another step closer to Rin. "What do you mean by that? What would Danzo what with you?" Rin gave Kakashi deadpan look, her eyes asking him if he had seriously just asked that question. After a moment and it was clear that Kakashi wasn't going to repeat himself because he truly didn't know, Rin let out a snort. She tired to silence it by covering her mouth, but she only ended up giggling and then she was flat out laughing.

"What's so funny Rin-chan?" Kakashi asked, taking another cautious step forward.

"The fact that you don't know!" Rin laughed out, tears of amusement gathering in her dark eyes.

"What don't I know?" Kakashi asked taking another step forward and finding himself within lunging distance from the brunet. All at once, Rin's laughter stopped and she stared at him calculatingly, as if she was trying to weigh the pros and cons of telling him something.

"I'm a Jinchuuriki," Rin said softly, her eyes oddly cold. Kakashi jerked back at the cold words, his eye widening comically as he stared at his old teammate dumbly. "While on _that_ Mission I had over heard what the mist was planning to do with the Sanbi and me. The seal was twisted and half formed, if I so much as stepped into Konoha, the Sanbi would be released, I would die and the village would be destroyed. That's why I jumped in front of your Chidori—to protect the village."

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The room was a simple large stone chamber that was glowing bright teal; squinting against the light the two boys and the girl crept forward slowly. As their eyes adjusted, the children saw that in the center of the chamber were several large bamboo curtains that reached dozens of feet high into the air and in a circular fashion; inside of which the bright light was emanating from. As they approached, they each saw a tiny dark form kneeling before the front of the curtain, long golden hair was pulled back into a simple braid. The tiny form turned and with an excited gasp, it scrambled to its feet and hurried towards them.

"Naruto-kun, Gaara-kun, Fū-chan!" the three children jumped at the familiar, cheerful voice. A pretty ten-year-old girl in a long sleeved, dark blue dress that reached just past her knees was rushing towards them with her arms spread out to either side of her. She had dark, almost Onex, blue eyes that were spilling joyful tears as she rushed at the three named children.

"Yugito-chan!" the three children in question cried out together, they waited no time in bursting forward and colliding with the fully healed blonde.

"You're alright!"

"Are you feeling better?"

"What happened?"

"I'm fine," Yugito laughed as she swayed with the combined weight of the three younger children. "That boy brought me here and she healed Me." by this point the blonde girl turned to look over her shoulder and back at the source of the bright teal light, if the four children squinted and looked close enough, they could see something tall and dark in the center of the closed off space of bamboo curtain.

"Who is 'she'?" Gaara asked softly, earning a chuckle from beyond the bamboo curtain

"Surly you have noticed a difference already little one," the woman sounded, Gaara had no doubts that she was talking to him. "You know what we mean when we say 'guardian', don't you?"

"What is she talking about?" Naruto asked slowly, turning to look at Gaara. "What does she mean when we're called guardian?"

"She's talking about..." Gaara suddenly stopped, clapping his mouth so fast it actually snapped. Naruto continued to look at him curiously, Yugito and Fū both had slightly surprised but mostly understanding looks on their faces.

"Naruto-kun what do you know about the Bijuu?" Yugito asked softly, turning the attention away from Gaara who was to have a mild panic attach.

"I know the Yondaime killed the nine tails!" Naruto said excitedly, his eyes shining with pride. "He died in the processes, but he's still the best Hokage in history!" It was quiet as the other children stared at Naruto dumbly, the blond boy just kept on talking and talking about how, someday, he'd be an even better Hokage then the fourth. The woman's feminine and soft laughter cut Naruto off and all four children turned to the tall bamboo curtain curious about her sudden reaction.

"How cute you are Naruto-kun," the woman giggled. "But the Yondaime-Hokage couldn't kill the nine tailed demon."

"What are you talking about?!" Naruto asked loudly, his eyes blazing. "Old man Hokage wouldn't lie to me!"

"And he hasn't" the woman counted, confusing the boy. "Well in all technicality he didn't."

"I don't understand," Naruto said softly, his brows pulled together as he pouted at the curtain a few feet away from him. He heard the woman chuckle again before she answered softly.

"Why don't you four come a little closer?" the woman asked, the four looked at each other unsurely before they walked forward and sat at the edge of the bamboo curtain that spilled over the floor. As Naruto sat on the floor between Fū and Gaara with Yugito sitting beside Fū, he saw that almost directly in front of him was a crease in the curtain, as if it were an opening to the woman's cut off room.

"It is impossible to kill a living creature that feeds off of it's surrounding energies." The woman began calmly. "The Kiyobi is one of the few creatures that does just that..."

…

* * *

…

**Should I up date sooner then Normal?**

**I think I will! :)**

**Marry Christmas! XD**

**Thoughts are helpful**

**Opinions are wonderful**

**Helpful criticisms**** lovely! Just don't cripple me okay?**

**Please no cursing!**

**And don't forget to review!**

**Page 6**


	5. Chapter 5

**Something New**

Chapter 5: Fighting back

Koomahana

****thought I was joking about the presents?****

****Nope! :)****

****Marry Christmas! XD****

**Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine; you want the real stuff get off this site**

_Thoughts_

_Paragraphs are memories_

…

* * *

…

Recap

…

* * *

…

"How cute you are Naruto-kun," the woman giggled. "But the Yondaime-Hokage couldn't kill the nine tailed demon."

"What are you talking about?!" Naruto asked loudly, his eyes blazing. "Old man Hokage wouldn't lie to me!"

"And he hasn't" the woman counted, confusing the boy. "Well in all technicality he didn't."

"I don't understand," Naruto said softly, his brows pulled together as he pouted at the curtain a few feet away from him. He heard the woman chuckle again before she answered softly.

"Why don't you four come a little closer?" the woman asked, the four looked at each other unsurely before they walked forward and sat at the edge of the bamboo curtain that spilled over the floor. As Naruto sat on the floor between Fū and Gaara with Yugito sitting beside Fū, he saw that almost directly in front of him was a crease in the curtain, as if it were an opening to the woman's cut off room.

"It is impossible to kill a living creature that feeds off of it's surrounding energies." The woman began calmly. "The Kiyobi is one of the few creatures that does just that..."

…

* * *

…

End Recap

…

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…

"Y-yes I knew that," Kakashi answered, trying to shake himself out of his stupor. "What I don't know is—"

"The hidden mist tried to extract the Sanbi from me," Rin snapped cutting Kakashi off; her teammate flinched again at the reminder. "But the Sanbi didn't want to give me up. I was his first host and he wanted to prove that he could protect me as well as any of his brothers could protect their hosts. While they were extracting him from me, a woman barged in on the sealing and stopped them from completing it. She saved my life."

"Who is she?" Kakashi asked softly, shifting hesitantly towards Rin. "Who saved you?"

"The very same woman who I'm serving now," Rin answered with a humorless grin. "The very same woman who I am bound to for the rest of my life—even after death."

"Who is she Rin?" Kakashi asked, his heart beating a little faster

"You'll meet her some day," Rin answered looking sad. "For now—"

_**KA—BOOM!**_

The shock of the explosion made the earth roll like waves and crumbled the houses around them, anyone standing was forced to the ground clutching their ears desperately. The real Rin screamed as the house she was hiding in wobbled and started to buckle beneath her, making her lose concentration on her jutsu. The Rin that Kakashi had been speaking to exploded in puff of smoke, Kakashi paid it no mind as he quickly hurried to his once teammate and got her quickly out of the way of harm. Kakashi was quick to pin Rin to the safety of a nearby sturdy building and in a moment of memory, Rin let Kakashi protect her from the falling debris.

"Are you okay, Rin?" Kakashi asked, wincing as a bit blood dripped past his eye when the rumbling had ended.

"I'm fine," Rin answered one hand rising to brush a glowing finger tip to Kakashi's brow. "You're not though," on cue Kakashi's leg buckled beneath him and he fell harshly to the ground. "Don't worry you won't die, I won't let that happen." Rin said as she kneeled beside him and double-checked Kakashi's body, going so far as to push him onto his back. "I still care about you and I'm still loyal to Konoha, but I can't leave my mistress. If I do, I'll die. Please don't search for me Kakashi-kun." Rin smiled sadly down at Kakashi, who was glaring up at her, looking like had a thousand things he wanted to say to her.

"Don't look at me like that," Rin said, rising to her feet and dusting her knees off. "I only scrambled your nervous system; you won't be able to walk for a few minutes. Don't worry it doesn't last long, barely five minutes."

"Rin," Kakashi hissed between clenched teeth. _How could you?_

"Shh, don't talk," Rin ordered as she peaked around the edge of the collapsed wall that was shielding them from view. "That explosion came from the center of the village, that's where the children are. I have too go Kakashi-kun. Please don't do anything stupid."

Rin was gone before Kakashi could retaliate, he sighed and relaxed, letting his mind wonder as his body tried to ix the damage done to him.

_You've changed Rin-chan_ Kakashi thought as his mind wondered. _And I can't tell if that's good or bad..._

…

* * *

…

"He's the four tails!" an Iwa ninja shouted as he ran towards a group of shinobi nearby. In the crater that was the house they barged into earlier, stood a black creature with three black tails whipping behind him and a skeleton of a monkey formed around him protectively. "He's from Iwa! We have to stop him!"

"Roushi-kun!" A feminine voice cried out, startling the gathering shinobi. Everyone turned to see a woman with long brown hair and purple stripes on her cheeks run past them and towards the child sized demon monkey.

"Roushi-kun calm down!" the woman ordered as she neared. "This is no way to handle your problems!" The boy's skeleton encased head tilted to the side curiously before one paw whipped up and swiped at the woman. Some of the shinobi shouted at her to move, but she kept running forward, not seeming to understand the danger she was running towards.

"I warned you Roushi-kun!" The woman cried out just before she met with his fist. In the blink of an eye a bright light blinded everyone as a new chakra crashed down on them; gritting their teeth the shinobi stood frozen and watched as the woman's body soon joined a similar state to that of the child monkey. Her back gained a perfectly round shield, as did most of her joints, the skull of a creature they weren't sure of surrounded her blackened head and her hair lifted to part into two ponytails.

"Calm down Roushi," the woman's voice echoed from the bones that surrounded her, two tails whipping agitatedly behind her. "You must protect his village. If you loose sight of your goals you will only end up hurting your self!" again the baby monkey attached, apparently not possessing the woman's words.

"Do you want me to bring mother into this?!" The woman howled as she dodged the sloppy attach; The monkey stilled, it's crouch lowering slightly and it's head tilting every other way as if it was trying to focus. "You know she's stronger then both of us! Do you want her to calm you done and die?! You know she doesn't have much time left!" With a finale strike the woman clobbered her fist down on the baby monkey's head, smashing him into the earth. It wasn't long after word that one immense chakra signature disappeared from everyone's senses, black encased woman stood tall over the smoldering hole, seemingly waiting for something. Slowly the woman's state started to ease down, her skin and clothing returning to normal, her hair lowering to rest calmly at her back. The eminence chakra that blackened her skin before, now took a protective teal glow around her, forming one tail that swished back and forth impatiently.

"Who-what are you?!" Someone called up from the edge of the creator, his voice shaking as he stared terrified down at the calm woman in the center. Lowly Rin rose her crimson eyes up to stare dully up at the man who called down to her, noting how some shinobi retreated and some advanced.

"My name is Rin Nohara! The Jinchuuriki of the three tails!" Rin answered loudly, making sure to project her voice. "I am the guardian of the children. You have trespassed into my land; I am giving you all one chance to retreat. If you don't I'll kill you where you stand, I have no qualms with it."

The advancing shinobi froze, some looking at each hesitantly. Not liking how she glared at them specifically or how her words were laced with promise—the woman really would kill them if they stayed.

"Do you seriously think that we belief you?" A mist Nin asked as he advanced with a snarl, his weapons held at the ready. Rin glanced at him and waved her hand at him dismissively.

"Go away pesk, take another step and I'll take your head." Rin snapped as she turned to examine the ridge in the opposite direction. When the man snarled and readied himself to charge, Rin flicked one finger at him absent-mindedly. With a burst of chakra the man started to charge at Rin, but her chakra reached him first. The man couched as a blast of wind sliced right through him, knocking him off his feet and into a rock wall twenty feet behind him, three sharp wooden chunks of the wall protruding from his stomach.

"I told you I'd kill you if you got any closer," Rin said as she glanced over her shoulder at the man. "You can't be too mad at me, I did warn you."

"Nee-chan" A childish voice groaned from the hole, distracting Rin from the buzz surrounding her.

"Roushi-kun," Rin smiled as the boy slowly picked his way out of his hole, his hair falling out of it's high ponytail. "I did warn you..." Rin chuckled as she helped the boy out of the hole and let the last of the Sanbi's chakra slip from her body but kept enough to keep her eyes glowing crimson. She knelt next to him calmly and placed one green glowing palm to his chest, although it appeared that her full attention was on healing the boy, Rin was actually assessing the shinobi around them.

"how many do you count?" Rin asked calmly, "Don't look," Rin hissed when Roushi turned his head to start counting. "Try sensing everyone around you. Like how you found your brother's and sister's, try counting everyone around you."

"I'm no good with sensing, you know that," Roushi grumbled at Rin, closing his eyes as he spoke. Rin felt Roushi suppress his chakra, lowering it dangerously but not letting it disappear.

"Tone it down," Rin hissed urgently when she felt Roushi push a small trendle towards her. "There are other sensors here, you don't want them catching you."

"How the hell can you be a sensor?" Roushi hissed as he tried again, "Keeping control of my chakra is damn near imposable, how can you do it?"

"Practice makes perfect," Rin smirked at Roushi, calmly sitting back and closing her eyes. "I sense five teams of Iwa Nin, six from mist, four from Suna and Kumo... and..." Rin sighed and slumped her shoulders tiredly, raising one hand to rub irritatingly at her temple. "There are two teams from Konoha..."

"Is that a bad thing?" Roushi asked curiously, "Konoha didn't send very many... why?"

"Numbers don't always mean power," Rin grumbled as she stood and dusted off her knees absent-mindedly. "Typically low numbers from a hidden village means that they're the village's best, especially in this case. Each village sent their best after us. Four of the five great hidden villages sent many teams, while one sent only two—What dose this tell you about the other villages as compared to Konoha?"

"That Konoha is stretched thin?" Roushi asked tilting one head up to look at Rin dumbly. "That they're not as strong? That—"

"No," Rin said, stopping Roushi from continuing. Rin cocked one hip and rested a hand on it, one head tilted to the side but down slightly; too anyone more then ten feet from her, it looked as if she was scolding Roushi calmly. To Roushi, who knew better, it looked as if Rin was looking over her shoulder slightly to keep an eye on the surprisingly emptier part of the creator. "It means that Konoha was smart enough to send in two of their best and strongest teams, one as distraction and one to snatch up the others. It was a good plan, if one of the other villages hadn't screwed it up. The hidden leaf meant for this to be a silent operation, the quieter it is the more successful the operation is."

"But one of the other village's screwed that up," Roushi sighed as he struggled to his feet, accepting a helping hand from Rin. "So they're after Gaara, Yugito, Fū and Naruto?"

"They're most likely after all of you," Rin sighed turning to put herself back to back with Roushi and lowering into a stance that Roushi mimicked easily. "Stay away from the mist and Iwa shinobi, I'll take care of them. Don't kill anyone, just lead them away then return to the others—protect mother at all costs. Understand?"

"Don't talk to me like I'm a child," Roushi grunted in acknowledgement.

"Roushi-kun," Rin warned lowly, readying her swords as the teams started to get closer to them.

"Lead away, don't kill, protect mother no matter what, I got it already, goodness!" Roushi grouched, "I call Suna!" Roushi smirked as he charged forward and engaged the closest team, who turned out to be Suna Nin.

"Avoid the leaf shinobi!" Rin snapped as she charged her own opponents, keeping the majority of the swarm away from Roushi. "Even I can't handle the group!"

"You've gotta be kidding me!" Roushi chuckled as he landed back at Rin's side, two swords in hand. "The Leaf's that good?"

"No clue," Rin answered as she sent a blast of wind from her blades and knocked back two teams. "I've never meet the leaf's best. It's best to avoid them!"

"Avoid the unknown factors with the hopes of learning more about them," Roushi recited as he sent a wave of fire at a group of Nin nearby. "Geeze, you and mother don't know what fun is!"

"Roushi-kun, now is not the time to test your limits!" Rin snapped out as she sliced through one man and kicked at another. "The leaf has several masters in the sealing art! You go against the wrong opponent and you'll end up knocked out and hog-tied faster then you can blink! And that's the good possibility!"

"What's the bad one?" Roushi asked as he swept out an arm, flinging dust into one man's eyes while he knocked out another man.

"They could be an assassination squad," Rin replied as she spun around an opponent and quickly knocked him out. "If that's the case then everyone in the village is in danger. I've never met anyone who survived an assassination squad from the leaf. They're the elite of the elite, there's no beating them! It'd be a miracle if any of us survived them!"

"Okay I got it!" Roushi snapped as he ducked and stabbed at another Nin trying to cleave him in two. "Avoid the leaf like the bloody plaque!"

"That a boy!" Rin cheered as she formed a hand sign, letting her swords fall back in her palms to the blades were protecting her arms instead facing up. "Wind style: wind cyclone!"

"Go Rin-chan!" Roushi cheered as he watched her swipe her focused hands from one side of her body to the other, effectively knocking out half of the shinobi and creating an excite. "See ya' later sis!" Roushi hollered as he jumped into her cyclone and laughed as he was thrust away from the fight and to the top of the creator. He ignored Rin's promises of beating him later and made a beeline for one of the still standing houses.

…

* * *

…

**Thoughts are helpful**

**Opinions are wonderful**

**Helpful criticisms**** lovely! Just don't cripple me okay?**

**Please no cursing!**

**And don't forget to review!**

**Page 7**


	6. Chapter 6

**Something New**

Chapter 6: Finding the children

Koomahana

****thought that was all?****

****Nope! :)****

****Marry Christmas! XD****

**Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine; you want the real stuff get off this site**

_Thoughts_

_Paragraphs are memories_

…

* * *

…

Recap

…

* * *

…

"Roushi-kun, now is not the time to test your limits!" Rin snapped out as she sliced through one man and kicked at another. "The leaf has several masters in the sealing art! You go against the wrong opponent and you'll end up knocked out and hog-tied faster then you can blink! And that's the good possibility!"

"What's the bad one?" Roushi asked as he swept out an arm, flinging dust into one man's eyes while he knocked out another man.

"They could be an assassination squad," Rin replied as she spun around an opponent and quickly knocked him out. "If that's the case then everyone in the village is in danger. I've never met anyone who survived an assassination squad from the leaf. They're the elite of the elite, there's no beating them! It'd be a miracle if any of us survived them!"

"Okay I got it!" Roushi snapped as he ducked and stabbed at another Nin trying to cleave him in two. "Avoid the leaf like the bloody plaque!"

"That a boy!" Rin cheered as she formed a hand sign, letting her swords fall back in her palms to the blades were protecting her arms instead facing up. "Wind style: wind cyclone!"

"Go Rin-chan!" Roushi cheered as he watched her swipe her focused hands from one side of her body to the other, effectively knocking out half of the shinobi and creating an excite. "See ya' later sis!" Roushi hollered as he jumped into her cyclone and laughed as he was thrust away from the fight and to the top of the creator. He ignored Rin's promises of beating him later and made a beeline for one of the still standing houses.

…

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…

End Recap

…

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…

Kakashi sighed as he heard more explosions, screams and the sounds of battle erupted around him and then quickly silenced only to pick up again five minutes later. Kakashi had been trying to get to his feet, but every time he tried to move his right hand, his left leg twitched instead and every time he tried to move his left leg, his right would suddenly flare up in pain.

_I never knew Medical ninja's could be so damn dangerous,_ Kakashi thought irritated, he tried to find the point on his body where Rin had touched him, hopefully her chakra would still be there and he could then force it out of him. The only problem was that he couldn't find it, at least not before someone's shadow fell over him.

"What the? Who's this?" the voice belonged to young boy, Kakashi pulled his chakra back into his body, afraid that the boy might have been an enemy ninja. "Hmm... let's see here..." Kakashi felt the boy kneel above him, most likely at the entrance to the small hide away where he hid Rin. After all a chunk of that wall did fall against the wall he had used to protect Rin, creating a small niche for them to hide in. "Gray hair... head band pulled over one eye—oh he's a leaf nin! Geez Rin-nee is merciless against her own..." Kakashi stiffened imperceptibly as he felt the boy press two fingers against his throat.

"Well he's not dead... aw man that mean's she scrambled your nervous system!" the boy laughed at Kakashi's expense. "That mean's your awake and can hear everything I'm saying. So stop playing possum and respond already, old man" Kakashi opened his one good eye and glared warningly up at the red haired boy, he was at least ten but Kakashi couldn't tell from the angle he was at.

"You must be Kakashi Hatake," the grinned down at him, upside down and everything, his dark eyes shinning with amusement. "You're Rin-nee's first love. That mean's your family. This means I can tell you my name!"

"So tell me already," Kakashi glared in irritation at the boy, was he friend or enemy? He talked about Rin as if she was family, calling her 'sister' while he was at it.

"My name's Roushi," the red head said with an amused grin. "Hay is what Rin-nee says true? Did your other teammate really give you the Sharingan?" Kakashi glared in response, "I'll take that as a yes. If not for the fact that you could totally knock me out with it, I'd ask if I could see it. I've never seen the Sharingan before."

"Why are you here?" Kakashi asked, his voice frigged and his body stiff.

"Whoa there tiger! Easy! I mean you no harm!" Roushi chuckled at him, going so far as to raise his hands up in an 'I surrender' jester. "I was just on my way to mother when I saw ya'. I was only curious." Kakashi was quiet as he tried to think, Roushi was calmly observing him with a curiosity that only a child could possess.

"You've been fighting Rin-nee's nervous system attach, haven't you?" Roushi asked with a grin that told Kakashi that he didn't need to ask, he already knew the answer. "You shouldn't do that ya' know," Roushi reprimanded calmly with an amused smirk at Kakashi. "That'll make the effects last longer. The last time Rin-nee used that on me, I ended up out for a whole month because I was trying to fight her jutsu. The longer you fight it, the longer it'll last. How long did she say that it should last?"

"Five minutes," Kakashi answered irritated, his frustration growing when Roushi let out a low whistle, his eyebrows rising in amusement.

"Wow, she really wanted to get a head start on you mister." Roushi grinned down at Kakashi, "Either that or she was trying to protect you. Knowing her, it's properly a bit of both. Rin-nee is really soft hearted and can't hurt anyone to extensively. I've only ever seen her kill when one dumbass hurt Han a few years ago. Now that was amusing! The guy totally underestimated her!"

"what about now?" Kakashi asked curiously, filing the information away for later. "Is she killing anyone now?"

"Well that's hard to say," Roushi answered truthfully, his lips and brows pinching together in a thoughtful expression. "That one Mist Nin is defiantly dead, there's no questioning that one. As for everyone else she's taking on? That's hard to answer. I think she's trying to give everyone a chance to back down and retreat, going so far as to knock everyone out while she could. I think she's only killing those who don't take the hint. Rin-nee likes to preserve life, but when someone threatens her home, well," Roushi shrugged his shoulders carelessly. "Well, anything's possible at that point. Rin-nee really only ever gives one or two warnings."

_So she hasn't changed_, Kakashi thought, not sure if that was good or bad. He really couldn't decide what to think about Rin. Was she a traitor? Did that make her a nuke-nin?

"Hay mister I'd love to stay and chat but I have to go check on my siblings." Roushi said as he glanced around the wall shielding Kakashi from view. "Besides, some of your friends are coming; I better go before they see me."

_They already have_ Kakashi thought as the boy disappeared from sight, it wasn't long after that he heard a few people skid to a halt at the entrance to the small niche.

"Kakashi-san!" a worried voice called out, Kakashi watched as two people stepped into the niche, one on either side of him. the one who kneeled to his left and was examining his face for signs of life had long black hair and was short, just over five feet tall. The one to his right with the glowing hands rested over his chest was tall with short brown hair.

"Hay Wolf-kun," Kakashi grinned to the boy beside him, crimson eyes blinked at him from behind the mask. "Did you see that red haired boy just now? He's going towards our target and the woman who orchestrated the whole thing. Go fallow him but don't do anything too stupid and take Tenzo with you, okay?"

"Yes sir," the young Uchiha agreed easily, quickly leaving with another member of their team. Kakashi sighed in relief when he felt the two chakra signatures of his two teammates start to fade from his awareness, just as he was about to open his mouth, his medic reached over and slapped him in the side of his head.

"You shouldn't be giving out orders in your state," the woman crouched at him. "Do you know what happened? I can't find anything wrong with you..."

"A scrambled nervous system." Kakashi answered, not happy that she had gotten a drop on him when it had always been the other way around. "At least that's what the boy just told me, he said that I should stop fighting the effects. If I do then my nervous system wont get better but worse."

"just out of curiosity," the woman started, her hands glowing as she redid her search on him, "Do you even know what the nervous system is?"

"Ha-ha very funny,"

"I wasn't joking,"

"Yes I know what the damn nervous system is," Kakashi hissed

"Really? What is it then?" the woman challenged

Kakashi sighed and closed his eye tiredly

…

* * *

…

"I don't think he's getting it lady," Yugito chuckled as she stared at Naruto's rather blank face. "Why not tell the fight in the form of a story? Don't you think that would be helpful?"

"I suppose," the woman chuckled softly. "Alright then... how about this?

'Long ago there was a peaceful kingdom, this kingdom was not very old, it has had only three kings before it's current ruler. This man was kind and compassionate, his wife even more so. One fall day, the lovely queen was giving birth to her first son, the king's first child. During her birthing, darkness formed on the horizon and a demon attached the peaceful village in search of something precious. In a panic, the civilians tried to hide while their knights tried to fight off the demon, trying their best to keep their kingdom safe, or at least keep their queen and king safe. It had been hours before the king was aloud to arrive, finally forced to leave his wife's side to fight the demon threatening to wipe out his people in his search. He was not there for the birth of his first-born son and the knowledge broke his heart as he fought the great demon. He was able to lead the demon away from his village, but not very far.

'In the middle of the fight the king and demon separated, sensing that something had changed, searching their surroundings they saw two women standing together between them. One dressed in purist white with long crimson hair and the other in blue with long sweeping black hair. The king recognized both immanently. The crimson haired woman was his wife and queen, the black haired woman was his wife's best friend. Panicking a new, the king hurried to the smooth ground between the demon and himself, but he didn't make it before his wife performed a strange spell. The demon howled in pain and fury, the queen had caught the demon in a binding spell, he would be unable to move much, but the spell did not last very long. The queen's friend solemnly handed the king his son, tears flowing from her eyes as she did so.

'You know the spell you must cast,' the friend told the king, 'You know she can not last much longer, quickly before he breaks free. Perform the sealing spell.' With a heavy heart, the king hugged his child close before stepping away from the friend. Slowly the king kneeled and started to chant, his voice mixing with his wife's soft words. Furious the demon roared out, screaming that he would not be sealed again. He thrust his paw out, eager to kill at the closet human he could reach—the child of the king and queen. Terrified the friend rushed to the crying child, praying to move him out of the way in time, the king and queen were quite different. They rushed in front of the paw, using their very bodies to protect their child. Stunned at the sacrifice performed, the demon's claw stopped feet away from the still crying child. His crimson eyes widened as he stared at the couple who gave their life to stop him. Never before had he seen such love and devotion before, never had he witnessed two people so desperate to protect someone. Their actions stopped the demon short, giving the king and queen time to finish what they had started.

'The friend wept anew as the queen said her goodbyes to her child, and the king quickly finished his sealing spell. The demon didn't fight the spell, he knew that he could fight the spell, that there was still the possibility that he could break the spell before it took hold on him. But he didn't have the heart to do so, he was too stunned by the humans on his claw, too surprised and amazed to fight the sealing spell. The demon sighed and whispered his last words to the world he loved so much before he was sealed within the king's and queen's child. The king and queen collapsed to either side of their child, tears falling from their eyes as they wrapped their arms around their child, knowing what would come because of their actions.

'Do not be afraid of him,' the king whispered, praying that the friend could hear his words, not knowing that she was too far too hear him. 'Be proud of him, he is a hero...' the king and queen closed their eyes and died together, holding their son between them protectively. The entire nation wept together, morning the death of their greatest king and queen that their nation had ever known and most likely would ever know. Some of the people of the peaceful nation would be kind to the child, their acts small and unnoticed but kind all the same. Some people of the peaceful nation weren't so kind, and it was these people who left the most damage upon the king's son. Not knowing that the boy they were so afraid of was truly their king's child."

"What happened to the king's child?" Naruto asked softly when the woman's words stopped flowing and her story ended.

"Some stories, such as this one, are never finished," the woman answered softly. "While others are finished but not in a way that the reader, or in your case listener, thought that it would. It is up to you children who write the story of your own life; you decide what is to come and what is not to come. It is your decision, how you write your story is up to you."

"We write our own stories?" Gaara asked softly, his eyes wide and curious. "Do you know mine?"

"I know the beginning," the woman answered softly, "but again, it is up to you how the story shall end. All of you are still within the beginning of your stories; you have yet to reach the middle much less the end of your stories."

"And we decided what is to be apart of our stories?" Fū asked softly, shifting in her seat nervously, unsure of the feeling that was rising in her chest. "Why do we have to decide what our stories are? Aren't they already written?"

"oh heaven's no," the woman laughed, amused by the question. "Everyone's life is like a leaf on a river, there are streams, waterfalls, lakes and eventually the ocean. You can sail your leaf on the water, trying to get to different spots of the river, but you will come across strong currents and there will be times where the leaf is swept in a direction that you didn't want it to go, but it'll reach it's final destination all the same." The children were silent as they glanced at each curiously, "I'm sorry children, did I confuse you?"

"A little" Yugito answered with a soft blush. "Miss can I ask you a question?"

"You can ask me anything child," the woman answered

"Will we ever get to go home?"

"Of course," the woman answered surprised by the question. "You are here for a peaceful childhood and training for what is to come. You all will eventually return to your home villages, but everything in this world takes time. I want you to be ready when you go back home."

"Ready for what?" Naruto asked, his face pinching up in confusion. "What do we have to be ready for?"

"...a war is coming," the woman answered, as if she didn't want to but knew that she had to. "Listen to me children and take my words to heart. If you should ever see men with crimson clouds upon black, turn and run. Do not fight them if you can. You are to avoid them; if you do not then I fear the worst. If you are given no other choice, then fight them together. Be it with your allies of your village, or with your siblings here. Trust me when I say, you will not be ready for the men who will come for you."

"So when these men come for us," Yugito shifted uneasily, feeling afraid of these men with crimson clouds already. "We have two choices, flee to safety or fight with allies? We can't fight them alone..."

"Are they really so strong?" Fū asked fearfully, her orange eyes widening fearfully

"Yes," the woman answered regretfully. "These men with crimson clouds, not even I can beat them when I was at my strongest."

"You aren't strong now?" Gaara asked curiously, blinking at the large bamboo curtain dumbly. "are you sick?"

"Something like that," a new voice answered as the woman chuckled. Gasping and snapping around, the children stared wide eyed at Roushi as he approached calmly. "Sorry about scaring you, that hadn't been my intention."

"Roushi," the woman called softly, as if she wanted to scold him but was too tiered to do so. "Is the village safe?"

"The civilians are in the bunker below us," Roushi answered as he stopped jut behind the children and smiled at the curtain. "Rin-nee is kicking butt out there, but I don't think any of them are taking the hint."

"That's saddening," the woman sighed. "No one has died have they?"

"Not to my knowledge," Roushi answered, "I did run into Rin-nee's lover though. She sure did a number on him; he wasn't to please about it either."

"Kakashi-kun is not Rin's lover," the woman replied calmly. "However your nosy self hadn't noticed the two fallowing you. You two can come out now." Roushi snapped around and lowered himself into a protective stance before the children, one hand held at the ready on his closest sword.

"I apologize mother," Roushi said as he glared at the two figures who stepped forward out of the darkness. "I should have noticed them."

"Do not be so hard on yourself Roushi," the woman chuckled. "It is only because of my state that I noticed them." Roushi gritted his teeth and drew both of his swords, holding them at the ready before himself. The two shadows approached slowly, moving to keep themselves on Roushi's two sides.

"Why do you cry?" a soft childish voice asked from Roushi's left, Roushi glanced at the shorter shadow, trying to keep the smaller one in his line of sight. "Is the woman dyeing?" Roushi glared at the shorter male, a low growl erupting from his chest. a short Anbu with a childish voice? a child in Anbu? Roushi gritted his teeth as he understood the implications.

that child isn't to be taken lightly

"Well that's convenient," the taller male commented as he slowly took his time on Roushi's other side, children flinched and huddled together, afraid of these strange men in black and masks. "That makes my job a little easier at least."

"Roushi," the woman called softly, "Roushi, listen to me please." Roushi paid no mind to the woman as he changed his stance, trying desperately to keep both strangers in view. "You can't handle them Roushi, please. I'm begging you Roushi, stand down."

"At least let me try," Roushi begged, fighting the tears that threatened his vision. "Let me try to protect you. Please mother..."

"Protect the village," the woman replied calmly. "I can not last forever, I will die eventually and no amount of seals and spells will keep me here forever. I am begging you Roushi, stand down."

"But what about the children?" Roushi asked, making the four in question flinch, Yugito sniffed as she pulled the two still unconscious boys a little closer to their pile. "Won't they hurt the children?"

"There is only so much that you can do," the woman answered softly a soft brush of air shifting the tall curtain slightly. "I don't want you to get hurt, it would break my heart if you got wounded because of me."

"You've all but out right raised me," Roushi tried to argue, "I won't let you die! I swore to protect you!"

"Roushi, please—" the woman begged, her voice being cut off as the taller shadow moved, throwing some kunai at Roushi, forcing the boy to move to defend himself. At the same time the smaller shadow moved, rushing towards the curtain and frightening the children as he moved, making them scream out in fear as they tried to huddled protectively against each other.

"Mother!" a new voice creamed out, just as the smaller shadow cut at the curtain. The children burst apart as one of the boys stood and tried to defend the woman inside the curtain, but it was too late. The smaller shadow had flung shuriken with wire strings attached around the wide curtain, when they returned the boy did a few hand signs, lifted his mask slightly and blew out a stream of fire that quickly consumed the wooden curtain whole.

"Mother!" the boy in the blue kimono screamed out as he quickly raised his arms, summoning water to quickly put out the fire, the resulting smoke filled the room. "Mother are you well?" the boy asked as he coughed, waving one hand to make the smoke go away.

"I am well Utakata," the woman said softly, a soft breezing pushing the smoke away from the center of the tall wooden curtain that no longer stood. "Although I could have lived with the children not seeing me so soon," Yugito, Gaara, Fū and Naruto all coughed before they raised their eyes, trying to find the source of the female voice.

"I don't get it," Naruto mumbled as he stared dumbly at the large teal glowing seal array on the floor. "Where is she?" Yugito reached over and gently pushed Naruto's head up, using two fingers under his jaw. Naruto was speechless as he took in the sight of the woman they had been speaking too for so long now.

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**Thoughts are helpful**

**Opinions are wonderful**

**Helpful criticism****is**** lovely! Just don't cripple me okay?**

**Please no cursing!**

**And don't forget to review!**

**Page 9**


	7. Chapter 7

**Something New**

Chapter 7: good or bad decisions?

Koomahana

**Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine; you want the real stuff get off this site**

_Thoughts_

_Paragraphs are memories_

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Recap

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"Roushi, please—" the woman begged, her voice being cut off as the taller shadow moved, throwing some kunai at Roushi, forcing the boy to move to defend himself. At the same time the smaller shadow moved, rushing towards the curtain and frightening the children as he moved, making them scream out in fear as they tried to huddled protectively against each other.

"Mother!" a new voice creamed out, just as the smaller shadow cut at the curtain. The children burst apart as one of the boys stood and tried to defend the woman inside the curtain, but it was too late. The smaller shadow had flung shuriken with wire strings attached around the wide curtain, when they returned the boy did a few hand signs, lifted his mask slightly and blew out a stream of fire that quickly consumed the wooden curtain whole.

"Mother!" the boy in the blue kimono screamed out as he quickly raised his arms, summoning water to quickly put out the fire, the resulting smoke filled the room. "Mother are you well?" the boy asked as he coughed, waving one hand to make the smoke go away.

"I am well Utakata," the woman said softly, a soft breezing pushing the smoke away from the center of the tall wooden curtain that no longer stood. "Although I could have lived with the children not seeing me so soon," Yugito, Gaara, Fū and Naruto all coughed before they raised their eyes, trying to find the source of the female voice.

"I don't get it," Naruto mumbled as he stared dumbly at the large teal glowing seal array on the floor. "Where is she?" Yugito reached over and gently pushed Naruto's head up, using two fingers under his jaw. Naruto was speechless as he took in the sight of the woman they had been speaking too for so long now.

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End Recap

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"Are you surprised?" The woman asked, a humorless smile twisting her lips. "Yes I am dyeing, that is why it dose not matter what you two do to me. I can only pray that you don't harm the children."

"Just what are you?" the taller shadow asked, fear lacing his words.

"I am a woman forced to continue life," the woman answered softly. "I should have died... hmm... oh about seven years ago now."

"I can see why," the shorter shadow mumbled, "but that doesn't explain your condition." The woman chuckled humorlessly at him, soft sad watery-green eyes turning towards him. The woman was only half-formed, with only half of her head, her torso and half of her limbs remaining, the very edges of her body was slowly turning to dust, falling to the ground and evaporating when it touched the cold stone. What little of her hair remained was pale in the teal glow, not revealing what it's true color was. In the middle of her forehead was a large deep violet rumbas shape sitting just above her sad, round eyes.

"As I've said, I am dyeing," the woman replied, a tear slipping out of one eye and sliding down her cheek.

"Hold on mother I'll stabilize you!" Utakata shouted as he burst forward and onto the edge of the seal array. He formed a hand sign and sat down, his brown eyes determined as he concentrated on his chakra.

"Utakata don't!" the woman shouted, her voice filled with panic. "You need Han to help you!"

"I'm awake," a gruff voice said from beneath the pile of still frightened children. "I can't move because I'm currently berried but I'll help out soon enough..."

"Han you're too week!" the woman scolded, panic twisting her features as Yugito, Fū, Gaara and Naruto all clambered off the boy with the crimson facemask. "Will one of you three stop them?! They're going to get hurt!" Roushi grunted as he kicked at the tall shadow he was trying to keep away from the falling apart woman. The man grunted and dodged, quickly returning to the kunai-sword fight that he had taken up with the red head. Clearly, Roushi wasn't going to stop the two boys from helping their 'mother'.

"One of you help me up," Han ordered as he struggled to sit up, Naruto and Gaara were quick to obey. Han looked around the strange chamber thoughtfully, his eyes watching Roushi for a moment before he turned to study the other shadow nearby.

"Han you need to rest!" the woman hissed at the boy, her brows drawing together in irritation

"Utakata, how long can you holdout?" Han asked as he shifted slightly in the two boy's hold.

"Not long," the brunet answered with gritted teeth. "I've never done it by myself before."

"Which is why I want you to stop!" the woman snapped, "You're both are too week to feed the seal! Wait for Rin to return!"

"I can see that," Han replied, ignoring the woman completely

"Are you two idiots listening?" the woman growled, surprising the two Anbu agents

"You've got five minuets to get to the other side," Utakata warned, ignoring the sweat that started to bead at his brow.

"Utakata! Han!" the woman snapped out, her brow ticking in irritation. "Stop ignoring me!"

"That should be fun," Han replied as he glanced both sides of the seal array. "Left or right? Roushi's fight or the unknown creeper kid?"

"Can't you run across?" Yugito asked as she pointed at the most direct root to his destination

"No," Han answered as he looked down on the small blonde. "I'll get caught up in the seal if I do that. And any living creature who crosses the seal will become apart of it, in other words if I cross the seal, I'll die. I have to go around the seal in order to get to my station."

"You're in no condition to fight," Gaara warned worriedly, "how do you plan to get across?"

"I could try to smoke out the place but that'll do more harm then good," Han sighed. "I can't get involved in Roushi's fight, I'll be more of burden then a help. But I can't face the other guy because I'm not at full power and he is, my chakra is still pretty low and my connection to my demon is weak at best. He won't be helping me any time soon."

"You have a demon?" Naruto asked, not sure what that meant. Han looked down at the boy still holding him up partial.

"We all have demons sealed within us" Han replied, tilting his head at Naruto curiously. "That is why we are all here. We are all hosts of one of the Bijuu's. The best way to tell is that each of us has a mark."

"We do?" Yugito asked, tilting her head to the side

"Yes," Han answered, his eyes straying to keep track of the shorter shadow nearby. "Gaara-kun's mark is the black smudges around his eyes, those are the marks of the Ichibi—Shukaku. Yugito-chan, your mark is on your chest right?" Yugito blushed and quickly covered her chest with her arms. "Oh relax brat, I can't see it so stop panicking." The blond sighed in relief and lowered her arms, "it looks like two whips right?" Yugito squealed and quickly covered her chest again, leaning away from the older boy with tears brimming in her eyes.

"I told you that I can's see through your damn cloths!" Han hissed, "I was guessing because you covered everything up! The only skin you're showing is your head and hands!"

"..." Yugito continued to stare at Han unsurely, going so far as to scoot away from him and tugging Fū's long dress sleeve while she was at it.

"whatever," Han sighed shifting again when he caught sight of the shadow boy moving again, the masked boy stopped when he saw that Han was keeping a close eye on him.

"Hay what about me?" Naruto asked curiously, a smile spreading across his lips. "What's my mark?"

"Your cheeks," Han answered bluntly, "The scratches on your cheeks are the marks of the Kiyobi."

"And yours?" Gaara asked curiously, Han stiffened and turned away from Gaara, choosing to watch the shadow nearby instead of looking at the red head

"My marks can't be seen by you guys," Han answered. "You'll go blind if you see them."

"What dose that mean?" Naruto asked

"It mean's his mark is more physical then Gaara's and Yugito's," Fū answered, her back facing them as she examined Utakata with sad eyes. "I'm the same as him, my mark is rather physical too."

"Hmm... I take it your mark is that of the Shichibi isn't it?" Han asked, watching how the girl stiffened and turned her head away to glare hatefully down at her hands. "As curious as I am, you don't seem to be to found of your mark. If that's the case you can stay with these three, I don't need a weakling trying to help me."

"Han!" the woman snapped out, fury echoing in her voice and making everyone in the chamber flinch. "How could you say that? She's your sister—!"

"Not by blood," Han interrupted the woman coldly. "No sister of mine is so weak that something like a mark that dose no harm to her or anyone else would affect her like this." Han pointed at Fū, ignoring how the girl fisted her hands and was trembling. Yugito growled at Han and put a protective hand on the younger girl's shoulder, Fū snapped at the contact.

"Who are you calling weak?!" Fū asked as she snapped to her feet and spun around to face Han, her orange eyes glowing a furious red. "I'm stronger then you are! I'm the host to the Shichibi Bijuu! That's Seven tails! You only carry five tails!" Han snorted at the indirect challenge, making Fū fist her hands so tightly that her short nails cut into her palms and her teal colored hair rose slightly with her fury.

"I'm still more experienced then you are," Han replied, crossing his arms and standing on his own. "You couldn't take me to the other side if you tried, I'd have better luck running past him."

"Yugito-chan please undo the two zippers on my back," Fū growled out, her red eyes pulsing with her fury. Yugito raised an eyebrow at the girl but quickly did so, flipping the white cloth over the zippers the side so she could take hold of the zipper it self. She drew the zippers from Fū's shoulders down to her waist.

"You can't just run past him," Fū growled out, fighting back a flinch as she forced movement to her back. Yugito squealed as a glob of goo shot out from the gap in Fū's dress and landed on her face, Fū glanced at her just to make sure that she was okay before she finished pulling the rest of her wings out, slowly they rose high into the air, two in total and covered from base to tip in clear slim.

"You'll have to fly if you want to get past him," Fū said as she straightened and flexed her wings carefully. She folded one in front of her to examine it, making sure that she hadn't done it any damage, but it looked the same to her as it always had. It still looked like a dragonfly's wing, undamaged and sticky with clear goo.

"Two wings aren't going to cut it," Han warned, unimpressed with Fū's mark, the tattoo wings on the Shichibi host's back were always the mark that revealed the Shichibi. Each host could bring the tattoos to life and some could even fly but they always had a curtain number of wings. It was no different then the Gobi's mark, which was the host's twisted limbs created for faster running and the inevitable steam that rolled off the twisted limbs.

"Han!" the woman shouted, horrified by the boy's words

"I'm heavier then you are, two little wings aren't going to carry my weight. Like I said I'd have better luck running past." Fū growled at the challenge, her fists shaking as she forced out another pair of dragonfly wings, resting a little lower then first pair. "Still isn't going to cut it brat, what part of 'I'm heavier then you', do you not understand?"

"Han! Quiet antagonizing her! Can't you see that it's hurting her?!" the woman shouted, fear for Fū made her eyes water and fury at Han made her voice tremble. "Quite pushing her past her limit! She's not like you! You're going to hurt her!"

"Only glass dolls need to be protected," Han replied coldly, still unimpressed with Fū. "and I'm not hurting her, she's doing it all herself."

"You're antagonizing her into doing it!" the woman snapped, "Quite being so mean to your sister! Those wings are hurting her! She can't use them much less get you to the other side because of the pain!" Fū growled out, forcing out another pair of dragonfly wings, these ones sitting just below her ribcage.

"Fū!" the woman screamed out, panic encasing her being. Fū ignored the woman as she forced her wings to move, it wasn't long before they were giving a steady beat, creating enough wind to push back the shorter shadow and making Naruto and Gaara hurry to Yugito's side to keep the blonde from sliding too far away. With a roar of fury and agitation, Fū lifted off the ground and swept forward faster then anyone could see. She lifted Han high into the air, around the floating woman and promptly dropped him on the other side of the seal. She hovered ten feet in the air above the boy, glaring at him as he tried to pick himself up. It was only when Han turned that Fū saw why he was covering his face, the boy's mask had fallen off and his white hat was askew.

Like her, Han had orange eyes but unlike her, Han had a head full of ashy gray hair that was smoking on the ends. His jaw was square, his nose like a fine tempered blade; completely and perfectly straight. His bottom lip, chin and a part of his throat was smeared in five rolling lines, although the lines were solid, the insides of them weren't. Even from her distance, Fū could see the smoke twisting and twirling inside the lines, like the smoke was restless and seeking an exit. Feeling bad and understanding Han's earlier words, Fū turned and quickly picked up his mask where it had landed. Before anyone else could see his face, Fū returned the mask back to Han's face, not making eye contact as she fastened it over his ears.

"I'm sorry," Fū murmured as she lifted into the air again, quickly returning to Naruto, Gaara and Yugito. However, just before she made contact, Fū saw the stone beneath them quiver and shake—she reacted without thinking. Yugito and Naruto screamed together as a large wooden dome snapped into place over them, trapping them together. Sniffing in the darkness Yugito tried to find an exit in the wooden cage, her hand sliding over the smooth surface.

Outside the wooden dome, Fū glared at the edge of her skirt, it was the only piece of her that was caught in the wooden dome. She fluttered there in the air uneasily, turning her head, Fū looked back at Roushi and saw that he was trapped as well, only that he was bleeding heavily and his head was bowed in unconsciousness. She saw that his opponent, a tall brown haired man, rose to his feet and started to make his way towards the woman and the other two children trying to stabilize her. Flipping her head to look the other way, Fū saw that the shorter shadow was making his way towards Han, a kunai in hand as he watched the floating half formed woman. Panicking, Fū knocked on the wooden shield, hoping that they might be able to hear her.

"Yugito!" Fū called out urgently, "Yugito! Can you hear me? They're going after the lady! What should I do?"

"Fū? Wha...at?" Yugito's voice was soft from the other side of the wooden wall, making it difficult to hear her. "I can... ear you!" sucking in a deep breath Fū concentrated on her chakra and the saliva in her mouth, spitting it out when she felt the sting on her tongue, Fū watched as her salvia burned through the martial of her skirt and freed her. The salvia going so far as to burn almost completely through the wood, burning out a small pinprick of a hole.

"That was cool," Fū mumbled as she brushed her fingers over the burnt wood, revealing the hole to the three inside

"Fū-chan?" Naruto called out form the other side, surprising the teal haired girl by the volume of his voice. "Fū-chan are you there?!"

"Quite yelling I'm right here!" Fū snapped back, "The shadow people are going after the lady. Roushi-kun is hurt and Han and Utakata are in danger! What do I do?" the children trapped inside of the wooden orb looked at each fearfully and worriedly.

"Follow your heart," Gaara answered softly, surprising the group.

"Wha, what do you mean?" Fū asked as she leaned in close to the tiny hole.

"My uncle, he used to say that if I fallow my heart, then I can't go wrong." Gaara answered, "He says that if I don't want to do something then I just don't have to do it and that if I want to do something then I can do it. But I have to stop and think, I have to think about how I would feel about doing something or not doing something."

"I see..." Fū said softly, she turned and landed on the ground, watching as the two strangers got ever closer to the woman the two boys. "I can't just leave them there like that," Fū said to the group. "I'm sorry but I can't help you guys out, if I do then they might die. I'm going to go help them."

"That's just fine Fū-chan," Yugito called from the hole, "We'll be fine inside of this thing. Don't worry about us!"

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…

**Thoughts are helpful**

**Opinions are wonderful**

**Helpful criticism****is**** lovely! Just don't cripple me okay?**

**Please no cursing!**

**And don't forget to review!**

**Page 8**


	8. Chapter 8

**Something New**

Chapter 8: Going home

Koomahana

**sorry I thought I updated this forever and a half ago!**

**I'm sorry!**

**Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine; you want the real stuff get off this site**

_Thoughts_

_Paragraphs are memories_

…

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…

Recap

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"That was cool," Fū mumbled as she brushed her fingers over the burnt wood

"Fū-chan?" Naruto called out form the other side, surprising the teal haired girl by the volume of his voice. "Fū-chan are you there?!"

"Quite yelling I'm right here!" Fū snapped back, "the shadows are going after the lady. Roushi-kun is hurt and Han and Utakata are in danger! What do I do?" the children trapped inside of the wooden orb looked at each fearfully and worriedly.

"follow your heart," Gaara answered softly, surprising the group.

"Wha, what do you mean?" Fū asked as she leaned in close to the tiny hole.

"My uncle, he used to say that if I follow my heart, then I can't go wrong." Gaara answered, "He says that if I don't want to do something then I just don't have to do it and that if want to do something then I can do it. but I have to stop and think, I have to think about how I would feel about doing something or not doing something."

"I see..." Fū said softly, she turned and landed on the ground, watching as the two strangers got ever closer to the woman the two boys. "I can't just leave them there like that," Fū said to the group. "I'm sorry but I can't help you guys out, if I do then they might die. I'm going to go help them."

"That's just fine Fū-chan," Yugito called from the hole, "We'll be fine inside of this thing. Don't worry about us!"

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End Recap

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"Captain Hatake!" A familiar voice shouted out, turning in his cot, Kakashi stared as one of his teammates hurried towards him, clutching his left shoulder. "We got three of the four targets," the boy said as he stopped in front of Kakashi, panting for breath as he reported. "Fū of the waterfall village refused to return, she remain with the Younbi Jinchūriki, Roushi of the hidden rock, the Gobi Jinchūriki, Han of the hidden rock and the Rokubi Jinchūriki, Utakata of the hidden mist."

"So this person has captured the fifth, sixth and seventh Jinchūriki's huh?" Kakashi mused as he turned to look at the tent ceiling, "Do you know if this... uh..."

"Woman?" the boy suggested, Kakashi sighed and nodded in thanks to the boy

"Do you know if this woman is of any threat?"

"No!" A childish voice shouted out surprising everyone in the hospital tent

"Ah yes, I forgot to mention that..." the boy grumbled as Kakashi struggled to sit up, once he did he really wanted to lay back down and pretend to be dead. "The children are in for a check up...I don't think they need it though—"

"That lady isn't bad! She wanted to protect us!" Naruto shouted from where he sat on the cot, Gaara and Yugito beside him.

"That's right," Yugito agreed with an apologetic smile to a rock Jonin she obviously knew. "She healed me when I had started to get sick. When I asked her why she said that I had to live, because there were people I have to protect."

"Her own villagers," the angry man snarled in response

"No," Gaara finally spook up, not looking at the Suna Jonin sitting on the cot across from him. "The woman says that men in crimson clouds are coming and that we must be prepared for them. She says that we aren't ready to face them and that we'll have to eventually fight them."

"She said that if we don't we'll die!" Naruto agreed easily, his voice carrying in the small camp. Too bad the boy didn't notice how everyone shared a look as they listened, pretending to be doing something else. "She was only trying to protect us! She wanted to help us! Why are you calling her mean names when she was only trying to teach us?!"

"She took you away from your home," The Leaf medic kunochi said with her hands on her hips and a stern glare on her face. "That was a very bad thing to do. She shouldn't have taken any of you away from your respective villages!"

"How can a blind man see? How can a dumb man speak? You're assuming too much!" Yugito shouted with her own glare at the now confused medic, "Just because we wanted to be happy you think that she took us away against our wills but she didn't! She said that she was going to make us happy! That she'd protect us from the darkness of our world for as long as she could! She said that we'd be a family!"

"You each have a family!" The woman replied to Yugito

"No I don't!" the three children snapped back together, surprising everyone in the tent

"I'm an orphan that everyone hates!" Naruto shouted tears welling in his eyes, not noticing how Kakashi and his teammate stiffened

"My village views me as a weapon not a human!" Yugito snapped back, not looking at the Jonin beside her who was looking at her with a sad expression. "I don't have any parents or siblings! I'm just another tool to them!"

"My father hates me and siblings are afraid of me," Gaara said softly, stilling even the two blonds beside him. "My whole village views me as a mistake, they think that I never should have been born..."

"I love you!" Naruto and Yugito shouted as they tackled Gaara, making the red head's eyes widen in surprise.

"Never say that everyone hates you," Yugito scolded as she rubbed a hand in Gaara's short crimson locks. "Because I'll always love you, Ototo,"

"Yeah no kidding!" Naruto agreed giving the boy a tight squeeze, "I'll be your brother for life! No matter what happens!" Gaara's face went as red as his hair, he had no words to express the emotion he was feeling at that moment. Good thing too because Naruto and Yugito some how knew how he was feeling and didn't press him for a verbal response, instead they laughed and hugged him tighter, their faces glowing as brightly as his.

…

* * *

…

The next day when the troop was heading out, Naruto, Yugito and Gaara all glanced back at the hill from the backs of their respective village Anbu captain. There standing tall on the hill that once housed the beautiful village, watching them all leave were five shadowed bodies.

One was tall and feminine with long sweeping amber hair and dressed in a dark blue kimono with a white apron—she was Rin Nohara, their oldest sister.

One was a tall boy about shoulder height on Rin, wearing a white hat, a gray traveling kimono and a red face mask—Han, their second oldest brother.

The one beside Han was a little shorter with long crimson hair pulled into a high ponytail and dressed in a maroon traveling kimono with two swords at his side—Roushi, their oldest brother.

The third child standing beside Roushi was small in height and was half hiding behind Roushi, his dark blue, loose traveling kimono swayed slightly in the wind—Utakata, their third oldest brother.

At the far end of the group, the fifth member didn't stand or sit on the ground of the high hill like the three boys. She floated elegantly in the air, her two wings flapping together at blinding speeds, her white skirt skimmed at her knees and her white sleeveless and backless kimono top gave her wings movement; the sleeves she did have were attached on her upper arms and swayed gently to the light breeze her wings created. She was Fū, their third oldest sister. Yugito was the second oldest sister, being twelve while Fū was only eight.

"How long do you think they're going to watch us?" Naruto asked curiously, staring up at the small group. About the same time that his Anbu turned away and continued down the hill, that Rin turn away from them too; the three boys soon following behind her slightly hesitantly.

"Not long," Yugito answered just as Fū went strait up into the high clouds and out of sight. "I think she's scouting ahead, or making sure that we leave."

"You don't think she's going home?" the masked man carrying the blonde asked curiously, he turned to follow Naruto's and Gaara's respective captains.

"No," Yugito answered her dark eyes watching the cloudy skies with a soft smile. "No they gave her no love, so she has no love for them. They hurt her pretty bad, Fū wouldn't return to them. Not after what they did to her."

"You truly think that?" Gaara asked surprised by his friend, "but the woman said that we would each get to go back home, When our training is done."

"Really?" Kakashi asked, blinking dumbly behind his mask.

"Uh-huh," Naruto agreed from Kakashi's back, a smile on his face. "The lady said she'd protect us until we were strong enough to go back home. Then we would return to our villages, we would then fight with everything we had for that village—because that village is our home and nothing could replace our home."

"Did she say anything else?" the Suna captain asked curiously

"Yeah," Naruto chuckled a mischievous look filling his face and sparkling in his eyes. "She said lost's of things!" Kakashi chuckled as he felt the irritation from the man to his right increase until even Gaara was unsure of the man holding onto him. "She told us about the great king and queen who gave their lives for their people and sealed a demon into their son and named him a hero!" Kakashi stiffened and tried to look back at Naruto but the blonde was feeling tiered and was resting his head on the back of Kakashi's neck. "She told us about how the Yondaime fought the Kiyobi. Although I didn't get most of it, I had a lot of questions, but I didn't get to ask them..."

"She also told us about chakra," Yugito continued when Naruto fell quiet, falling asleep on Kakashi's back. "She taught us how to use it too!"

"Really?" Kakashi asked

"Well... a little," Yugito amend with a sigh, "Gaara and Fū were the only ones who completed the task..."

"And what task was that?" the Suna captain asked, shifting his hold so he could look over his shoulder at Gaara, who quickly ducked out of view with a light blush.

"How to make a leaf stick to our foreheads," Yugito grumbled, "She continued on talking before Naruto and I could get the leaf to stick, she said we'd have more time for practice later."

"I see..." Kakashi shifted his hold Naruto, getting a better grip on the boy, a frown twisted his features, remembering a similar exercise from childhood. "Did she say anything else?"

"She said that we have to avoid the men in the crimson clouds," Gaara answered softly

"She said the men _wearing_ the crimson clouds," Yugito corrected. "She said that when they came after us, we wouldn't be ready for them. So we have to either run away or fight with our allies, other wise the men will kill us and hurt the people we love most."

_The men wearing the crimson clouds_, Kakashi thought as he jumped into the tree's, the villages scattering into their respective directions, some more sullenly then others. _Sounds like I'll have to inform lord Hokage about this..._

…

* * *

…

"Are you sure Rin-nee?" Han asked as he watched the shinobi slowly filter down the hill.

"I'm sure," Rin answered softly, her brown eyes locked on a distant figure with gray hair. "There isn't much time left..."

"We'll be completing our training soon?" Roush asked, not liking the information. "Will the Tsuchikage hurt us for abandoning his village?"

"He shouldn't," Rin answered thoughtfully, "You weren't even in the academy yet when you left with me. Technically he can't name you nuke-nin, he might try to separate you from your guardians, but I don't know for sure."

"What about mother?" Utakata asked as he looked up at Rin nervously, "Will she be okay with just the two of us?"

"I'm here too you jerk," Fū replied, purposefully pushing a strong gust of wind at the brown haired boy. "I can start helping with the seal—"

"No," Rin snapped, closing her eyes and taking a step back, "You will do no such thing."

"Why not?" Fū asked as Rin turned away from them

"Because she's dying," Rin answered as she walked away, "Nothing can save her now. Not even the power of the Bijuu's..." Utakata started to cry as Han and Roushi both turned to follow Rin, teeth gritted and fists clenched.

"What's so great about being a guardian if we can't even save one person?" Fū asked as they returned to the village sullenly, none of them responded. Sighing Fū watched as her siblings slowly started to move away, not sure about what she should do Fū soared high into the heavens, seeking something to calm her mind.

_What was the point of staying, if she's going to die before she can train me?_ Fū wondered as she broke through the high and thick clouds, her clothing drenched. _Why is she called mother?_

…

* * *

…

"You're back," the woman's soft voice was barely a whisper in the darkness of the chamber. "Whatever is the matter now, child?"

"Why are you leaving us behind?" Rin asked, tears filling her dark eyes as she stepped into the seal created to keep the woman before her present. She had created it, she had activated, she could enter it, she and she alone could touch 'mother'. "Why? After all of these years, after all of the lives you've saved, after everything you've done, why do you seek death?"

"Two of the same can not exist at the same time," the woman answered, smiling gently as Rin cupped her face and brought it a little closer to her.

"I don't understand," Rin replied, letting her tears drip down her face as she swept one hand out to heal the woman floating before her but her glowing touch only seemed to make the woman fall apart faster.

"Two people with the same face, name and body can not co-exist," the woman clarified, smiling even as her body's crumbling escalated. "One of them must die, but if that girl dies then I die and all that I have worked for would be undone."

"So you must die?" Rin asked, "You saved my life! You single handedly split the Sanbi between two hosts! Why must _you_ die?!"

"Because I am the one out of time," the woman answered with a trembling smile, not even flinching as the dust quickly ate away at her chest and throat. "I do not belong here; I am from another time that has now been destroyed. I beg of you child, _Please_ let me die."

"Why?" Rin asked, more tears spilling down her cheeks as she held what was left of the woman in her green glowing palms. "Why is it always you? Why do you have to suffer? Why do you have to pay the price? Why dose it have to be you?!" the woman smiled softly at Rin, the edges of her face turning to ash as she spook her final words.

"Teach them well, protect them well and write you're own story..." Rin cried out as the woman finally died, the last of her turning to ashes in her hands, leaving behind a nearly perfect round emerald with the lightest of swirls in the center and one end holding out a small round end making the piece look like a tiny fan. Rin collapsed to her knees, hunching herself over the tiny pendent and cried and cried until she couldn't cry anymore. At some point Roushi and Han had entered the chamber and had quickly wrapped their arms around Rin, seeking comfort that she couldn't give. They didn't have to ask why she was crying, Rin was the first one their mother had saved, she had been with the woman since the very beginning.

"What do we do now?" Roushi asked when Rin finally ran out of tears to shed, "Mother was always there... she was the one to teach us everything... most of everything..." it was quiet a moment as Rin huddled in the two boy's slight embrace, when she was ready Rin pushed herself up and whipped at her face angrily.

"Your training will continue," Rin said in a ruff voice. "Okaa-chan had always wanted you two to know how to heal, so that if you didn't have a medic nearby you could do it yourself. She wanted you two to be as safe as possible."

"But what about Utakata and Fū?" Han asked as he pulled out a hanky and gave it to Rin, "Utakata hasn't been with us long and Fū arrived last week. She's expecting training to be done by mother, or at least some of it."

"I will handle Fū's training," Rin sighed, blowing her nose, "You two will have to teach Utakata the basics."

"What?!" the two boy's exclaimed together

"but he's clingy!" Roushi whined

"He's a baby!" Han whined, "He's always crying!"

"He's always crying because you're always picking on him," Rin reprimanded Han before she turned to Roushi, "And he clings to you because you're a safety zone, Han wouldn't hurt you if you're between him and Utakata."

"Great so I'm the human shield," Roushi said sarcastic, "That makes me feel loved."

"It should," Rin chuckled, feeling a little better now that she had something else to focus on, "He doesn't even run to me when he's scared, he runs to you Roushi-kun."

"Again with being the human shield," Roushi grumbled as he rose to his feet stiffly

"Why is he such a scared-y cat anyways?" Hana asked as he rose as well, "he's the sixth guardian for crying out loud, you'd think he'd have a pair—"

"Han!" Rin screeched her voice echoing in the cave, "What did I tell you about that kind of language?!"

"If you can't say it front of a child, then don't say it at all," Han recited in boredom, "But its sad, Fū's tougher then Utakata is and she's both younger _and_ a girl!"

"You got a problem with girls?" Rin asked with narrowed eyes and fist held at the ready

"None at all," Han answered immanently, _Only the ones with the violet tempers_

"Good," Rin smiled and quickly got up to leave the chamber, tapping her foot and destroying the seal while she existed it. Once at the entrance, Rin waited for Roushi and Han to be on the other side of the bridge before she turned and smashed her hand to the wall, effectively creating a gave in. She then turned and ran after the boy's, picking them up and diving through the exit on the other side of the bridge, her eyes glowing crimson in the near darkness of the tunnel.

"Why did Kaa-chan teach you that damn thing?" Han asked as he picked himself up from the floor, "She was bad enough..."

"Kaa-chan taught me everything she knows," Rin smiled as she took a hold of both boys and gently led them out of the dark tunnel, her crimson gaze leading the way. "Now I get to pass on my knowledge to you four and you four will be the inheritors of her will of fire."

"Will of fire?" Han asked,

"Yes," Rin chuckled as she walked forward calmly. "The will of fire is something my sensei taught me and something that mother knew and believed in. The will of fire is... it's something like a ninja's way of life. Sometimes that way of life is given and inherited by the next generation. I was one generation, Roushi, Han, you both are another generation and Utakata and Fū are another generation."

"So all three of us 'generations' are inheritors of mother's 'will of fire'?" Han asked, content to follow Rin knowing that she would inform them if something was in their way.

"Yes," Rin answered with a soft smile. "Mother left behind her will of fire and it is up to us to carry it on or not."

"I don't quiet understand," Roushi mumbled with a frown

"Think of it as... think of it as a way to remember mother," Rin advised softly. "You won't always be living like mother would have liked; but when you're at your weakest point, you can keep her in mind."

"Hay Rin-nee," Roushi called softly in the darkness, "Will we ever have to face those men wearing the crimson clouds?"

"...Yes," Rin answered regretfully, _I've already met one of them... undoubtedly more would—will come..._

"Will we be ready?"

"...I don't know..."

…

* * *

…

**I was thinking of ending the story here, what do you think?**

**Thoughts are helpful**

**Opinions are wonderful**

**Helpful criticism****is**** lovely! Just don't cripple me okay?**

**Please no cursing!**

**And don't forget to ****rate and ****review!**

**Page 10**


	9. Chapter 9

**Something New**

Chapter 9: one year later

Koomahana

**Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine; you want the real stuff get off this site**

_Thoughts_

_Paragraphs are memories_

…

* * *

…

Recap

…

* * *

…

"Yes," Rin chuckled as she walked forward calmly. "The will of fire is something my sensei taught me and something that mother knew and believed in. The will of fire is... it's something like a ninja's way of life, sometimes that way of life is given and inherited by the next generation. I was one generation, Roushi, Han, you both are another generation and Utakata and Fū are another generation."

"So all three of us 'generations' are inheritors of mother's 'will of fire'?" Han asked, content to fallow Rin knowing that she would inform them if something was in their way.

"Yes," Rin answered with a soft smile. "Mother left behind her will of fire and it is up to us to carry it on or not."

"I don't quiet understand," Roushi mumbled with a frown

"Think of it as... think of it as a way to remember mother," Rin advised softly. "You won't always be living like mother would have liked but when you're at your weakest point, you can keep her in mind."

"Hay Rin-nee," Roushi called softly in the darkness, "Will we ever have to face those men wearing the crimson clouds?"

"...Yes," Rin answered regretfully, _I've already met one of them... undoubtedly more would—will come..._

"Will we be ready?"

"...I don't know..."

…

* * *

…

End Recap

…

* * *

…

She flew high in the sky, smiling as the clouds she passed through soaked her clothes, making them stick to her and yet made her fly even faster. She's become proud of her wings now, no longer afraid of what others would say about them.

Like her older brothers she was a jinchūriki, it was expected of her to have a mark of some kind

She remembered what it was like as a child, before she was taken from the hidden waterfall village, hiding in the dark niches to escape the other children who'd laugh at her or pull on her wings, sometimes she hid in the high empty caverns of forgotten dried up river beds, hiding from the adults ready to clip her wings again. She didn't like having her wings clipped, not only did it hurt (crippling her for days after word) but she knew that some day she'd be unable to re-grow them again.

She was glad Roushi came for her when he did, he saved her from another wing clipping

Smiling Fū tilted in her flight and closed her wings against her back, letting herself fall headfirst strait down. She could hear the wind whistling passed her, drying her clothes and making her waist long teal hair dance wildly around her head. After a year had past and her hair grew out to her waist, she often pulled it into a low ponytail but in the times she chose to fly she let it out to dance with the wind.

Today was the anniversary of Roushi finding and rescuing her, the following week would be when he'd find Naruto and again with Gaara a few short days later, the next week would be Yugito and the week after that would be when they had all been separated by their villages again.

It was the reason she chose to fly that day, as she will fly on those coming days as well, a reminder of her wings and the wonderful chance she was given.

…

* * *

…

Roushi was smiling as he watched the sky carefully, searching for that out place spec

_Figures_, Roushi grinned when caught sight of a falling body. Fū always took flight in boredom, anger, joy and when she felt like annoying them.

"Oh my goodness!" Rin's voice sounded behind him, startled and scared as she watched Fū fall head first towards the ground at alarming speeds

"Relax Nee-chan," Roushi chuckled up at her, leaning back on the steps he was sitting on, "She's just feeling free"

"I hate it when she dose that," Rin hissed, slumping her shoulders and rubbing her hands dry with the towel in her hands, "I can't ever tell if she's having fun or exhausted."

"Which is why she dose it," Roushi chuckled at her before frowning and becoming serious, "So have you made up your mind?"

"About?" Rin asked, already knowing what he was hinting at

"Is Han staying?" _I don't want him to come with me_

"I can't change his mind," Rin sighed, "He's hell bent on being with you. Now that you're of age you can return to your village but..."

"But you still don't know how the Tsuchikage will react to our presence" Roushi said, watching Fū as she flipped to lay flat on her stomach, watching the ground move ever closer to her. "Utakata and Fū will remain here with you right?"

"I have to leave with you," Rin sighed, "I have to make sure he doesn't do anything against you..."

"They won't be coming with will they?" Roushi asked, heartbeat increasing

"Heaven's no!" Rin said as if he just asked a stupid question, "Fū and Utakata are staying here!"

"Then who will run this village?" Roushi asked, his face pinching into a frown, "What if we're attached?"

"Naomi knows how to activate the seal," Rin answered with a roll of her eyes, "As dose every other villager"

"Rin-nee this village is just barely managing to get back onto it's feet," Roushi said spinning to face the woman fully, "You can't leave, Mist and cloud could be planning on trying again!"

"They can't attach what they can't see" Rin reminded him in amusement, "I'm putting up a barrier jutsu to protect the village. Anyone with ill will can't enter, much less see, the village. It'll be nothing more then a massive crater to them, nothing more then the pathetic ruins of a village they destroyed last year."

"What if there's a traitor or a spy?" Roushi asked, still worried for the small village his mother built from scratch, "They could stop Naomi from—"

"Will you stop being a worry-wart?" Rin asked with an amused smile, "Will a spar make you feel better?"

"With you or Naomi?" Roushi asked with a raised eyebrow

"Roushi," Rin said in a tone of voice that had him straightening, "Everything will be okay; please, just trust me on this one..."

"Do I have a choice?" he asked softly turning his dark eyes back to the sky watching how Fū smiled and pulled her wings out, making herself zip barely a foot against the ground as she flew around the old crater of the village.

"I wish I could be so free," Roushi sighed, watching Fū as her eyes danced and laughter spilt from her lips like a hundred bells singing together

"No one is as free as she"

…

* * *

…

A few days later

…

* * *

…

She waited with her husband in the white halls of the enormous hospital, waiting patiently for their daughter to return from her monthly check up. When their daughter had first been born she couldn't leave the hospital, for the first three years of her life she remained in the hospital fighting for her life, often times falling into a coma. When she turned four, she gained a sudden burst of strength, enough to climb out of her bed and run around her room for an hour like the child that she was, driving the nurse's nuts because they knew just how frail she was. after that she just continued to grow stronger and stronger, the doctors and nurses were still concerned that she'd laps into a coma at some point again and kept her in the hospital until her next birthday. In her fifth year, their daughter was permitted to leave the hospital but after two months, she was back in her little room, having fallen into another coma that thankfully lasted only three days as compared to her previous bouts that lasted for weeks instead of days. The doctors were still reluctant in letting her leave again but eventually they gave in with the condition that she came in for weekly check ups. When their daughter was six and was determined as hell to enter the shinobi academy, the doctors had warned her about the consequences, tried to tell her she couldn't enter the academy, tried to reason with her about her body's limitations and how she was liable to end up in another coma or worse.

She then informed that she didn't have a choice in the matter, it was law that any child, civilian or shinobi clan, that gained access to their chakra system was required to enter the academy for shinobi training. Once she informed them that she already had access to her chakra the doctors relented and allowed her entrance into the academy but warned her against doing heavy manual labor or excessive physical training as that could do more harm then good. For the first year, everything was normal with her; she'd go to the academy school everyday, fly through her glasses as if they were standing still, study in her PE classes instead of joining her classmates for a run or spar.

A month after her seventh birthday everything changed

While on a field trip to the Hokage tower, in the middle of her teacher's speech and even in front of the Hokage himself, their daughter suddenly screamed and clutched at her head desperately. Before anyone could so much as blink, a blast of chakra erupted from her body, the children surrounding her collapsed, some even passing out as the chakra signature bared down on them with a force of a tsunami. The instructor collapsed himself with wide eyes, unaware of where the strange signature came from; the medics for her daughter were standing nearby as well and even they collapsed, one even freighting. Once the blast of chakra had subsided her daughter fell into a coma, this one was just like her original ones, lasting nearly a month before she woke up. The Sandaime had quarantined her hospital room, letting no one but them, one Hyūga, his students Tsunade and Jiraya and himself entrance to their daughter's hospital room.

"Mr. and Ms. Haruno?" She snapped her head up at the soft voice, green eyes locking in on the young brunet nurse walking towards them with a little pink haired child holding her hand. "Everything checks out," The nurse smiled pleasantly at them, "She can go to school next week, just don't forget about the appointment for next—"

"For next week we won't," her husband said rising to his feet as their daughter released the nurse and ran straight for him. "Hi ya' sweet heart," he laughed, lifting their daughter onto his hip, "You feeling better?"

"Uh-huh," she whispered shyly, a smile on her impish face. Now that she was eight years old, one year after the chakra blast, their daughter had grown stronger a hole twenty percent; she was almost as strong as the other kids her age. She could participate in her PE classes now, not the sparing as that was too risky for her fragile bones, no longer afraid that she'd fall into a coma for pushing her body too hard. They had discovered with her first run with the rest of the children in her class that their daughter was one of the fasts children in the class, coming in third and fourth on average in the children's races.

"How about we get some Shiratama Anmitsu after dinner?" she asked, rising to her feet and placing a comforting hand on her daughter's back

"Please?" she whispered softly, making her mother smile in answer

"Ms. Haruno," nurse called unsurely, "Lord Hokage would like to speak with you for a moment if you don't mind."

"What about?" her husband asked with a slight frown, their daughter sighed and curled into his arms, burying her face in his neck. The action was a familiar one, something their daughter only did when she was scared or trying to hide from someone—typically someone she didn't like.

"I don't know," the nurse admitted, "but today's tests were different, two Anbu agents were present while they... uh..." the nurse paused and looked down, fingers ringing together as if she was nervous, "uh... they... they uh... lo-looked at her uh her—"

"Diamond?" she interrupted with a frown, "What happened during the test?"

"Everything was the same but Lord Hokage's presence with two Anbu agents and their request to look at Sakura-chan with her hair pulled back," the nurse in formed them, knowing that said little girl didn't like people looking at her forehead and avoided the task when ever possible.

"We'll both go," her husband replied shifting his hold on their daughter, "Whatever he has to say to Mebuki he can say to me." she smiled as her daughter sighed again, letting the man place her into the nurse's arms carefully.

"Come back," Sakura whispered over the nurse's shoulder as they walked away, "Be safe."

They shouldn't have thought it to be so cute of their daughter worrying over them, they should've seen how her green eyes looked just a little bit darker and how her voice seemed just that little bit older.

But no, they looked back at their solemn daughter and smiled, waving cheerfully at her before they entered her exam room that she just left—never looking back

…

* * *

…

**I was thinking of ending the story here, what do you think?**

**Thoughts are helpful**

**Opinions are wonderful**

**Helpful criticism****is**** lovely! Just don't cripple me okay?**

**Please no cursing!**

**And don't forget to ****rate and ****review!**

**Page 7**


	10. Chapter 10

**Something New**

Chapter 10: returning home

Koomahana

**Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine; you want the real stuff get off this site**

_Thoughts_

_Paragraphs are memories_

…

* * *

…

Recap

…

* * *

…

"I don't know," the nurse admitted, "but today's tests were different, two Anbu agents were present while they... uh..." the nurse paused and looked down, fingers ringing together as if she was nervous, "uh... they... they uh... lo-looked at her uh her—"

"Diamond?" she interrupted with a frown, eyes narrowing in on the nurse "What happened during the test?"

"Everything was the same but Lord Hokage's presence with two Anbu agents and their request to look at Sakura-chan with her hair pulled back," the nurse in formed them, knowing that said little girl didn't like people looking at her forehead and avoided the task whenever possible.

"We'll both go," her husband replied shifting his hold on their daughter, "Whatever he has to say to Mebuki he can say to me." she smiled as her daughter sighed again, letting the man place her into the nurse's arms carefully.

"Come back," Sakura whispered over the nurse's shoulder as they walked away, "Be safe."

They shouldn't have thought it to be so cute of their daughter worrying over them, they should've seen how her green eyes looked just a little bit darker and how her voice seemed just that little bit older.

But no, they looked back at their solemn daughter and smiled, waving cheerfully at her before they entered her exam room that she just left—never looking back

…

* * *

…

End Recap

…

* * *

…

He went from calmly sitting at his desk with a mountain of paper work in front of him to suddenly standing at the window edge behind him, eyes locked on the gates six hundred feet directly in front of him. He smirked as his shinobi automatically swarmed the road leading to his tower, all remembering the familiar feel of the two hosts they had lost over a decade ago and had failed retrieving a year ago. He watched as three black cloaked figures continued to walk down the road as if they didn't see the hundreds of shinobi lining the road and surrounding them threateningly, all ready to fight to the death should they attach. He didn't ask why none of his civilians were present at their arrival; he figured it had something to do with the early morning hour or the thick mist that had rolled in the night before. He burst out of his tower about the same time that five of his men moved to attach the tallest cloaked figure; the two smaller ones instantly fell back sliding into defensive postures with their backs together as if they had been standing in such away since the beginning. The taller one didn't stop moving, she—because it could only be one person who dared to return to this place with _their_ jinchūriki—moved forward gracefully as if she didn't even see the five grown men bearing down on her like the hounds of hell.

"No," he hissed, watching how more of his men burst forward to attach, three running straight at her, once the ones jumping down on the woman were within reach the woman paused and in that hairs breath of a movement her image flickered. He thought that she disappeared but no she merely paused, the men surrounding her were suddenly thrown away from her like a bomb blast had erupted in front of them with enough force to make a soundless concussion wave that knocked everyone to their feet. The two smaller figures returned to the woman's side eagerly, one looking a little more frightened then the other, but didn't dare to let go of the other as they followed the woman further into the village.

"Halt!" he shouted sliding to a stop between the woman and his knocked out, seriously wounded men laying in the road. "How dare you return here and attach us," he hissed, hands already forming his signature move of dust release

"I attach you?" The woman's voice sounded, a mixture of amusement and disgust. Like an escort was disgusted at the sight of him but knew he had what she wanted and would corporate with him for a short amount of time. "You must mistaken Tsuchikage-dono," the amusement had left the woman's too smooth voice, "Your men attached us and for what reason? Walking down a street? Is that a new crime in this village?"

"You kidnapped two of our children nearly a decade ago," he growled, "For you to be walking around in anything less then the after life is a crime."

"Huh...Am I supposed to be impressed?" she asked, her hooded head tilting to the side curiously, "I've been to the after life before, I didn't think much of it so I came back."

"Of course you would," he rolled his eyes, somehow not surprised by her answer, "Why are you here? Come to finish what you started?"

"Finish what I started?" she asked, he could imagine her raising an amused eyebrow at him, "I have come to return my little brothers to you, did you not want them back?"

"Of course," he growled, feeling his brow twitch wildly, "I didn't lose fifty men just to leave them with you."

"To be fair I did warn those men," the woman sighed, "not my fault they didn't take the hint." He could hear the angry grumbling and growling of his shinobi around him, the loud thumping of two of his more trusted men landing behind him protectively.

"Return them," the kunochi growled out dangerously, crouching lowly as if she was a very pissed cat ready to unleash hell on the other woman.

"You seem to be of the mind that I had forcefully removed them from your custody," the woman sighed as if disappointed, "if you wanted to keep them you shouldn't have given them a reason to leave."

"Are you saying it's our fault that you took them?" Oonoki growled lowly, his signature attach held at the ready in front of them

"I'm saying that if you treated them like a normal child they wouldn't have been tempted to leave with me," the woman replied, "after all, Iwa kept their child for the simple reason that he didn't wish to leave with me. I do not force the children away from their homes, it is their choice and their choice alone." He watched as the two smaller children stepped out from behind the woman, standing on either side of her like scolded puppies.

"Roushi is the eldest," the woman said, watching how said boy lifted a hand and removed his hood. Showing the gathering shinobi how he had grown over the near decade that he been away, Onyx eyes smoothed of emotion and cold like ice, tanned face just as empty as his eyes, long crimson hair was smoothed out into a high ponytail tied with a black hair band, his once Band-Aid across his nose was replaced by two small black chakra tempered Iron bands on his cheeks.

"It is his time to return to you, though it remains his choice in weather or not he remains," The woman warned, one hand on the boy's shoulder comfortingly, the other figure shifted uncomfortably as if he wanted to stand closer to Roushi.

"If you harm him," Oonoki stiffened a the sound of the woman's voice in his ear

_Imposable!_ Oonoki thought with wide eyes, he didn't need to look to know that the two shinobi on either side of him were already down for the count and he didn't have to be a genius to know that the icy feeling at his throat was the woman's kunai. "How-when—"

"If you harm him," the woman hissed interrupting him, killing intent rolling off her like the suffocating feel of a mountain resting atop of him, "I will destroy everything you hold dear."

"Good luck Ona," he replied just as icily, trying to sound confident in his predicament, noting silently how the woman in front of him had yet to move from the two boy's. which meant that one of the women, the one in front or the one behind him, was a fake. "I have no kin to speak of," The woman chuckled in his ear; he could feel her lean just that little bit closer to him.

_Smart_, he thought trying to ignore the feel of her chest on his back or her one hand resting on his right arm with her left hand pressing the kunai a little closer to the left side of his throat. Most assassination attempts had the assassin standing tall behind or before him, looking confident in their ability to get so close to him without being killed by his guards—this woman wasn't so foolish. She kept her hands on him, her head resting at the same level of his own, a kunai a hair's breath from his throat and still she assumed that he could get out of her hold, still she acted as if they were standing face to face at the peak of a deadly fight that had yet to be decided.

"Oh~ how amusing," she whispered, laughter in her voice, "You think I speak of kin. Did you think that I didn't know you were an orphan raised by the previous Tsuchikage? Did you think that I didn't know that you hold nothing above your village?" he stiffened margent-ly at her amused tone of voice, sounding like a cat playing with a mouse before it decided to eat the measly creature. "You harm him, any of them, I will start with your defenses civilians, like your babies and elderly, then do the same with your shinobi and then target your cute little academy and then your adorable genin, then of course your measly chunin followed by your Jonin and then—"

"You plan to massacre my village?" he hissed at her, fury sounding in his voice

"Oh something along those lines," she whispered, suddenly pressing another kunai into his stomach, as if she thought that he was about to escape her hold, "Oh don't look at me like that, you don't have to worry too much Tsuchikage-dono." He growled when she chuckled again, as if finding the thought of massacring an entire hidden village was amusing to her. it had never been done before, no one in all of the hidden villages was strong enough, had the mentality for it, or even the stamina to fight so many well trained shinobi so just the thought of it was immanently dismissed by anyone with a sane mentality. Obviously, this woman wasn't planning in doing in one night or day, she planed to do it over a long stretch of time that would properly seem natural to everyone else but him.

"I'll save you for last," she whispered in his ear, confirming his thoughts on her little plan, "You'll watch as little by little your village slips into the hands of the Shinigami—knowing there isn't anything you could do to stop it."

"You would murder thousands of innocents—"

"Don't play to be so clean," she interrupted with a hiss, "you've wiped out whole villages your self without a second thought about the consequences."

"What are you—"

"Did you think that no one survived those little mental breaks on your part?" she asked lowly, her breath rounding around his head to fill his nose with the scent of fresh fruit and lilies. "I and I alone have swept through those villages, saving those I can and taking them back with me to my village. _My_ village lives with the survivors of your attempted massacres, my village is proof that your hands are by far more blackened with blood then any of the Bijuu could ever hope to have."

"Fine," he hissed, okay so he screwed up a time or two when he was younger and he got controlled once by a Yamanaka once before he became Tsuchikage, that didn't mean he was responsible for the crimes that particular idiot made him do..._Right?_

"I won't touch them, they wouldn't get harmed, in fact I'll order my men to avoid and flee at first sight. That good enough for you, _Ona_?" he hissed back to her, if he knew what the damn woman was called or even what she looked like then he would have the same order for the woman herself, but sadly she was smart enough to keep herself covered at all times. The only ones who would have a chance at knowing the woman's face or even her name were the two little boys standing sullenly before him.

"Good," she whispered and disappeared with a splash of water, soaking his back mockingly. Figures that she wouldn't risk getting within touching distance of him, he should have known that she would have used a clone to get so close to him.

"Tsuchikage-sama," Roushi called taking a step forward hesitantly, he glanced back at the other cloaked figure who moved as if to follow him before being pulled back by the woman standing between them. "If you are willing to have me... I will return to service for you," the boy took another step forward and kneeled before Oonoki with a bowed head, one arm bent over his right knee.

"Recite," Oonoki ordered coldly, knowing that the boy wouldn't have a clue about what he was talking about.

"The river may roll over a rock, the wind may pass a rock, the storm may cross a rock, the fire may scorch a rock, a rock may strike a rock," Roushi started surprising Oonoki as he had yet to look up from the ground where he kneeled. "The river rolls over the rock, eager to return to the ocean from where it had been born. The wind dances past the rock, happy to find the easy path home. The storm may strike the rock but a storm dose not last. The fire may scorch a rock but it'll find no fuel in a stone. A rock may strike a rock, but only a rock can know another rock"

"...That's not quite what I had in mind," Oonoki admitted, slowly a smirk crossed his face, "But it'll do. Better then what we teach the graduates" slowly the boy looked up at him, as if he wasn't sure if he should or not, "Rise brat, You're a genin of Iwagakure, you kneel to no one. Not even me."

"Yes sir," Roushi smiled, rising to his feet with a faint blush and twitching lips

_Poof_

He stared at the empty space dumbly, then he looked at the woman, realizing that she was at fault.

"My apologies," the woman said, a smirk sounding in her low voice, "I could not risk their lives."

"Where is Roushi?" Oonoki asked with a low growl, not liking being made a fool

"He is safe," the woman answered, "he will arrive tomorrow at sunrise." The small shadow to the woman's left tugged on her sleeve urgently

"I-I" he paused and looked at Oonoki, his hand still fisted in the woman's dark cloak, "Ca-can I-I—"

"You will have to speak to Tsuchikage-Dono about your return Han," the woman answered the boy's stuttering easily, as if reading his mind. "I thought you'd like to finish your training with me before you returned here?" The shorter cloaked child shook his head verdantly, "You still wish to be with Roushi?" Eager nodding, "You do realize that he wants you to finish your training right?"

"He-he can fi-finish it!" the woman chuckled at Han's loud declaration. He wasn't one for being shy or stuttering but when faced with possibly losing his brother forever, even he reverts to his original personality.

"Well?" the woman asked turning to look at Oonoki pointedly, "my earlier words apply to this one as well."

"I guessed as much," Oonoki replied tartly, "I thought you were talking about all Jinchūriki but what ever."

"So~ I can stay with Roushi-Nii?" Han asked curiously

"Depends," Oonoki smirked, unable to help himself from a little teasing, "What's your recitation?"

"Oh! Roushi and I have been working on those sense we left!" Han answered; he could almost hear the smile in the boy's voice

"Really?" Oonoki asked curiously, receiving court nodding from Han, "interesting." He thought his men were joking when they returned the previous year to tell him that Han had informed them that he and Roushi were trained to remain loyal to Iwa because it was their home village and that their parents would want them to remain loyal despite everything that may have happened to them because of the other villagers. "Well boy?" Oonoki asked, turning his dark eyes onto the still hidden boy, "what's your recitation? Don't forget to speak up!"

"yes sir," Han agreed, stepping forward to remove his hood, revealing his copper orange eyes and mask covered face and the little white hat he wore to control his smoky hair. "The river may roll over a rock, the wind may pass by a rock, the storm may cross a rock, the fire may scorch a rock, a rock may strike a rock. The rivers flow, the wind sings, the air dances, the fire dies, the storm fades. Still the rock remains, growing stronger with every second, growing wiser with every day. The waters move on, the wind never stays, the storm never lasts, the fire always dies. A rock may strike a rock but the rock stands tall, weathering it all and out lasting all others."

"heh, that's almost as good as Roushi's," Oonoki smirked, "Not half bad brat. I suspect that you'll disappear now right?" Han bobbed his head, "Alright then, don't forget to arrive with Roushi at dawn to morrow."

_Pop_

"I wasn't done," Oonoki grumbled to the empty air beside the woman

"As for where the boy's will stay," the woman spook up, not flinching as his men burst forward to surround her with weapons drawn, "I suspect that you should put them some place close to the mountain. Roushi likes to use magma style and I have yet to do anything about the matter because there is no place for him to practice in my village. At least no where that wouldn't possibly get someone killed."

"And Han?" Oonoki asked, raising one hand to still his shinobi, knowing they were no match for this faceless-nameless woman

"Han uses Steam release," the woman answered just as calmly, "Mostly water and fire release as well, the water release I've taken great pleasure in teaching him as for the fire release I'll have to leave that up to you. There are only so many elements under by my belt and fire isn't one of them."

"Nice to know," Oonoki smirked at her

"I'm sure," he could hear the amusement in her voice again and he would bet on his title that she was smirking again, "I've put you through so much trouble, I figured I could give you some kind of treat for the headaches I've given you." He was about to respond with a frown twisting his features but she disappeared before he could open his mouth, sighing he went to turn away but one of his Jonin appeared beside him, confusion and concern written across his face in big black letters.

"Tsuchikage-sama," the young man started, "are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he grumbled, "Why?"

"We were concerned when the woman was suddenly whispering in your ear," he explained glancing at the army slowly loosening their stances, "we wanted to move and attach but suddenly the woman was behind each of us with a kunai to our own throats." He looked down in shame, "None of us could move." Oonoki was quiet for a moment before a smile slipped onto his face and a chuckle slipped past his guard, he hobbled back to his tower, needing to return to the paper work waiting for him. He knew the woman was strong, if the reports from the previous year were to be believed then she was inhumanly strong, but he never would have guessed that she was able to pull of so many clones as to have all of his shinobi immobile without any of them taking notice of her presence until it was too late.

_Interesting woman_, Oonoki thought with a smirk, _any village would be lucky to have her... Why hasn't she joined one?_ The thought stilled the old man as he went to open the door to his tower, his eyes narrowing at nothing in particular. Was it possible that the woman was a nuke-nin? Did she defect from a hidden village? What hidden village would be insane enough to get rid of her? She was strong enough to be a Kage for crying out loud, why wasn't she?

With new thoughts and concerns, Oonoki traveled back up to his office and returned to his paper work; his mind not really focusing on the documents before him as his mind continued to whirl around the strange woman with no identify.

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The bar was loud like always, it was full like always, there were couples littering in every booth that he could see making out in away that said they were inches away from needing a bedroom, there enough women dancers to make his stool sitters get up and take notice. Yes for this little nowhere bar in this little nowhere village on the border of a nameless country between fire and stone, was doing wonderful—better actually. The Bar hadn't been so full where they were in need to get rid of paying customers at the door since the village had been a popular road to Iwa and Konoha during the third Great War. Bar/club had suddenly become popular two hours ago when a pretty brunet walked in and took a seat, quietly nursing whisky on the rocks. Truthfully the majority of the men in the bar wanted to walk straight up to the pretty brunet in the cute crimson halter top dress with a slit up her thigh that dared to show a little more then her crossed legs were willing to give—but every last man in the bar seemed to be a cowered. Although more then half of them were watching her like a starving wolf to an abounded meat carriage, every time she so much as bat an eyelash at a man who was trying to walk up to her the man would lose their nerve and leave her in peace.

"Another refill?" The bar tender asked kindly, the woman blinked and smiled at him, her head bobbing just enough in the sign of acceptance. "I don't mean to be rude or anything Ms. But could I ask you a question?" The woman's smile widened and she hummed gently, another positive sign, "Why are you here? I mean, i-it's just that... um, I mean I wouldn't expect a girl like y—I mean—"

"Memories," the woman said with soft smile and amused eyes, answering the young man's stuttered out question and preventing him from continuing to making himself look foolish.

"Me-memories?" he repeated dumbly, as if surprised that the woman had answered her or perhaps it was her voice that had surprised him. It sounded like honey tasted; sweet but not overly so, low but just enough to be considered feminine. "Good or bad memories?" the boy asked and the woman's smile suddenly became a mixture of mocking and self hatred

"Both," she whispered simply, leaning forward against the bar, pressing her chest against her arm and giving the boy a gracious view as well as the mirror behind the young man.

"Can I ask of who?" he asked, not paying attention to those surrounding the woman and how every male within hearing range was paying _very_ close attention

"My younger brothers," she answered almost mournfully, "I gave them up to the Iwa Kage today. I have yet to decide whether or not I should go back for them, regardless of his promises I don't trust the old man as far as I can throw him."

"Why not?" the woman turned and found herself watching a group of Iwa ninja frowning at her, as if they couldn't decide to hear her story or go on the offence and attach her. It was a young female genin with inky black hair and big black eyes; an early graduate by the headband on her head and her younger appearance then her pears who surrounded her almost protectively. "Why don't you trust Tsuchikage-sama?" the girl asked, her brows pinched together in confusion

"Because," the woman smiled at her over her shoulder as if she found the child to be painfully familiar yet amusing at the same time, "He has no need or reason to keep a promise to a stranger."

"But if Tsuchikage-sama made a promise to you then surly he would keep it," the girl replied in a tone of conviction only an innocent child could posses, "He's Tsuchikage-sama." The girl's added mumble only seemed to amuse the woman further, she actually giggled at the little girl sitting with her teammates.

"Oh child how innocent of our ways you are," the woman giggled, signaling to everyone that she herself was a kunochi, though without her headband no one knew which village she was from (obviously she wasn't from Iwa). "Someday you'll understand that not everything can happen because of a given word, Kage's don't need to keep their word. If it benefits them they'll easily break a word-promise for their own agendas."

"I don't belief you," the girl replied defiantly

"Oh~" the woman smiled her, "Tell me child, have you heard of the Hyūga incident between the leaf and lightning countries?"

"Yes," she replied with a frown

"Lightning and leaf had just signed a contract when lightning's ambassador infiltrated the Hyūga compound and kidnapped the Hyūga clan heir." The woman said, her eyes growing cold and voice turning frigid with each spoken word, "To avoid another war that would undoubtedly kill _you_ little one, Lord Hokage was forced to accept that Lightning wasn't going to take responsibility and that _he_ had to pay the price their treachery. The Hyūga clan then gave lightning the man responsible for the ambassador's death, the young heir's uncle and younger brother to the clan head." The woman spun in her seat, glass forgotten on the bar and face in a mask of neutrality but eyes just as cold as the air that now surrounded her. "Get it now girl? A Kage has no need to keep a promise that wouldn't benefit them. If they decide that a treaty is doing more harm then good they'll get rid of it, if they want something that another village has they'll sign a fake treaty and steal that something. If they want a political influence dead the Kage will put a bounty on their head, if a Kage decides that someone needs to die then one way or another that person is going to die."

"I...I" the girl shook her head and glared up at the woman defiantly, "Tsuchikage-sama isn't anything like the lightning Kage! Just because one Kage dose something doesn't mean that the others would!"

"You're right," the woman agreed rising to her feet smoothly, "but it's good template for others to use to judge what they can and can't do with that hidden village." The woman smirked at the girl coldly before she walked away gracefully; her heals clicking on the hard wood floor in the wake of the silence of her little speech to the child. The bartender shook his head and sighed, turning to the small group of Iwa Nin still sitting at their table in shock.

"Alright you guys, I've let you slid long enough," the bartender said in a tone of voice that was all business, "come on, no kids on this side of the bar." Slowly the group left, the Jonin gently tugging the genin with him out the door, possibly knowing that he'd have to explain the political world to the poor kid.

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**Thoughts are helpful**

**Opinions are wonderful**

**Helpful criticism****is**** lovely! Just don't cripple me okay?**

**Please no cursing!**

**And don't forget to ****rate and ****review!**

**Page 11**


	11. Chapter 11

**Something New**

Chapter 11: Worries and fears

Koomahana

**Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine; you want the real stuff get off this site**

_Thoughts_

_Paragraphs are memories_

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Recap

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"To avoid another war that would undoubtedly kill _you_ little one, Lord Hokage was forced to accept that Lightning wasn't going to take responsibility and that _he_ had to pay the price their treachery. The Hyūga clan then gave lightning the man responsible for the ambassador's death, the young heir's uncle and younger brother to the clan head." The woman spun in her seat, glass forgotten on the bar and face in a mask of neutrality but eyes just as cold as the air that now surrounded her. "Get it now girl? A Kage has no need to keep a promise that wouldn't benefit them. If they decide that a treaty is doing more harm then good they'll get rid of it, if they want something that another village has they'll sign a fake treaty and steal that something. If they want a political influence dead the Kage will put a bounty on their head, if a Kage decides that someone needs to die then one way or another that person is going to die."

"I...I" the girl shook her head and glared up at the woman defiantly, "Tsuchikage-sama isn't anything like the lightning Kage! Just because one Kage dose something doesn't mean that the others would!"

"You're right," the woman agreed rising to her feet smoothly, "but it's good template for others to use to judge what they can and can't do with that hidden village." The woman smirked at the girl coldly before she walked away gracefully; her heals clicking on the hard wood floor in the wake of the silence of her little speech to the child. The bartender shook his head and sighed, turning to the small group of Iwa Nin still sitting at their table in shock.

"Alright you guys, I've let you slid long enough," the bartender said in a tone of voice that was all business, "come on, no kids on this side of the bar." Slowly the group left, the Jonin gently tugging the genin with him out the door, possibly knowing that he'd have to explain the political world to the poor kid.

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End Recap

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She watched as the little girl sat on the plastic seat in front of the nurse's station, a little piece of paper in her lap and a black pen in hand, another three colors waiting patiently in the seat beside her. Every now and again the little girl would reach up and pull agitatedly at her shoulder length pastel locks, trying to keep them behind her ear and out of her eyes. Her red sleeveless dress was bunched on her hips, showing that it was too big for her, beneath which were thick black leggings. She watched as the little girl continued to scribble away on her sheet of paper, her pen barely rising from the once pristine sheet. She watched as the girl smoothly reached for another pen, doodled a little then set the pen with the others and the paper in the opposite seat to her left. Slowly the nurses at the reception desk moved in and out of their station, she alone remained watching the hunched over little girl drawing in her own little world, obvious to everyone around her.

_How the hell did you get that seal?_ Tsunade thought, flicking a lock of yellow hair out of her eyes, watching how the little girl continued to draw on a new sheet of paper. The only reason she remained in the village, why she remained working in the hospital, was because of the little girl waiting patiently for her parents to return and pick her up.

She turned at the sight of movement, she watched as a beautiful young, black haired woman stepped out of a nearby exam room, face pale and eyes blood shot. She vaguely had the urge to as the woman what was wrong but she didn't feel like moving from where she leaned against the wall. instead she watched as the doctor gave her a pitying look and walked away, the woman moved slowly to the little plastic chairs stationed on the wall, taking the end seat she all but collapsed into it and held her face with her hands, her shoulders shaking as she tried to suppress her own sobs. Whatever the doctor had told her, it wasn't good news and based on how long the woman sat in her chair and cried, it had to be something too far gone to cure; perhaps some kind of disease like cancer or teurbolocus.

Slowly the woman's tears dried and her quiet sobbing turned into little sniffles, she whipped her eyes on her sleeve and blew her nose on a handkerchief before she bothered to look and make sure no one had seen her. apparently there was no one down or up the hall, she was in the third hall nearly straight a head just barely out of the woman's sight, because the woman looked both ways before her eyes settled on the little girl sitting three seats over. The woman took stock of the little girl, properly only seeing her age and too pale complexion, before she moved a little closer to the girl and put on a painfully fake smile.

"Hello little one," the woman said watching how the little girl froze in her drawing, reached over and pulled her finished art works out of the seat and put them in the seat to her other side. "What are you doing here? Are you sick or waiting for your parents?" Ah, so the woman thought she was sick and was hoping the little girl wasn't by asking about her parents. Slowly the girl's head rose and she looked at the woman with seemingly sightless jade eyes, the woman seemed to think she was blind too because her face pinched in pity and tears sprung to her dark eyes.

"My parents are busy," the girl answered softly, her voice nearly hidden by the silence of the hall, "I am waiting." The woman's face pinched again as she tried to hold back the tears threatening to fall, she quickly whipped at her face again, taking steady breaths to calm her self down. As she did so, she recalled the papers the girl had moved so she could take a seat beside her.

"Can I see what you're drawing?" She asked turning slightly to address the girl fully

"Of course," the girl gave her a shy smile, "these ones." She deftly moved, collected her already finished pictures and plopped them into the woman's lap.

"Thank you," the woman replied with a smile, watching how the girl went back to her drawing; smiling she looked back at the pictures in her lap. The one on top showed a young boy standing before what looked like a graveyard, hands clenched at his sides, head bowed and what looked like the rain falling on his head. What stilled her though was the sight of the red and white fan on the boy's back.

_What is this?_ She thought, her eyes widening as she tried to memorize the sight of the boy with his back turned to her, she knew that was a familiar boy she just couldn't put a face to him, why was he so familiar? "Who—who is this?"

"I don't know," the girl answered, not even looking at the picture as she passed off another to her, "I know this one's sick." The girl continued drawing another piece of paper while the woman beside her stared down at the new image, her eyes wide at the sight of a familiar looking boy—no, this was a man—standing in the rain with his face turned upwards, eyes bright red like sunlight and wine. Two long scares lined his cheeks, spanning from the inside of his nose down to his cheeks, like he had a narrow escape in a sword fight.

"Do you know this one?" she asked her voice inches away from breaking, already recognizing the all grown up boy in the picture

"No," the girl answered, "I only know that he's sick."

"How do you know?" she whispered, one finger trailing along the line of the man's face

"A dream," the girl answered, "have you not looked at the others? They all tell a story when you put them together." she looked down at the little girl, eyes misty and confused, not knowing how to respond to the little girl who continued to draw as if nothing was wrong with the images she was drawing.

"Alright then," she whispered, moving with trembling fingers she took the picture on top and put it at the bottom of the pile in her hands, then moved the next one to the back because she already seen it. The third one was of two boys (brothers?) one with the same face as the man in the rain and the other with same hair style as the boy in the graveyard. The younger boy was ridding on the elder's back, both smiling brightly up at her, with smiles like sunlight and sugar. The next image was of a young man standing atop a phone pole with the moon on his back, darkening his features and giving away nothing of his identity other then his bright crimson eyes. The next was covered in black ink with the two brothers standing on opposite ends of the page, the elder dressed in familiar dark clothing with a sword strapped to his back and the younger in a large navy shirt and white shorts. Both had delicately colored red eyes, as if the little girl was afraid of ruining the image with color.

The next image stopped her heart

It showed the two brothers, both much older this time, laying on the ground in pools of blood. The elder looked worse for wear; blood spilled over pale lips, his clothes were little more then rags, a pool was forming under him, and his eyes were still crimson but this time it was a less complete crimson, looking more like snow and blood. The younger had lots of bruises and cuts but it didn't look like he was going to die, possibly hospitalized but he wouldn't die.

"Do you like the story?" the little girl asked, pausing in her drawing to look up at her curiously.

A tear dropped from her eye and splashed against the image in her hands

"I don't either, Wanna change it with me?" the little girl's smile was a mixture of sad and hopeful

"how?" she whispered, fighting not to cry

"I don't know," the girl replied softly, eyes misting over, "I think... someone has to protect that sick boy... no, someone has to protect them both. otherwise the darkness is going to swallow them up and then nothing can save them"

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…

A little boy waited patiently outside the large white building he knew where all the sick people went. He remembered waking up in one of the rooms there in the hospital, his first reaction was to run like hell and pray none of the nurses happened to have any of those knock out darts they used on him the first time he got hurt. He never wanted to get sick if it meant having to come as often as his friend did. He knew she had been born weaker then everyone else, that she couldn't leave the hospital until she was three and then it was with an escort to the mini garden the hospital had out back. That was the first time he had seen her, smiling brightly when a little butterfly flew to a flower just a few feet from her and then giggling when the wind decided to play with her hair.

He had wanted to know why she giggled when the wind blew and why she smiled when the sun's light touched her but her nurse appeared behind her before he could get close enough to ask his questions. Then he saw that she was in a wheel chair, she seemed sad when she looked back out at the tiny garden, like she was afraid that she'd never see it again. After that he tried to find her again but she never showed up at the little garden again, after waiting an entire day and night he had gone to Jiji and asked a bunch of questions, most of which seemed as if Jiji didn't have an answer for. The next time he had gone to the hospital, Jiji was there waiting for him. Jiji just smiled at him and lead him through the white halls as if he knew every nuke and cranny of the place, it didn't take long to find the room he had been looking for. Inside the room Jiji had taken him too was a white washed bed with a little girl sitting in the center, an IV in one arm and a heart monitor in the other, looking horrifying small in the big white blankets pilled around her legs and the too big white yukata she wore.

"Naruto!" his head snapped up at the familiar sounding voice, his eyes lit up at the familiar looking girl hurrying down the steps towards him. "You're early!"

"Careful Sakura-chan!" Naruto shouted, stumbling to his feet and meeting her half way up the stairs, "I don't want you to get hurt..."

"I'm not glass Naruto," Sakura pouted at him, "I feint one time in front of you and it's like the end of the world."

"Sakura-chan you were out for a month!" Naruto whined back, referring to the time the last time Sakura had fallen into a coma the previous year. The official reason was that Sakura was being bullied (which was true) and that her bullies had pushed her body too far and as such Sakura had accidentally performed a genjutsu that messed with everyone's sense of gravity and that Sakura feinted because she used too much chakra in the accidental performance (mostly a lie, no one really had an answer for what happened that day).

"So? That was last year!" Sakura whined back, her bangs shifting as the wind decided to play with them again, showing Naruto a glimpse of her little purple diamond she had on her forehead. He remembered when he had first seen her after the genjutsu incident, she was crying because of the giant diamond on her forehead; her big forehead was something her bullies actively mocked her for. He held her that day and then told her that she could keep her bangs short to hide it and that when she was older she could use her headband to hide the diamond.

"I've been healthy ever sense!" Sakura continued, putting her hands on her hips in an attempt to mimic her mother, who always seemed to scare Naruto into next week. "I've even gotten stronger! I can beat you in the races now!"

"Hay you don't win by much!" Naruto replied, raising one hand to show her the small distance between his thumb and pointer finger, "I'm like this close behind you!" Sakura just giggled at him, her dancing green eyes spelled mischief. Paling slightly, Naruto turned to look behind himself, not sure if he really wanted to confirm his own fears.

"Hello Naruto-kun," Mebuki greeted evenly, a small fan in hand as she looked down at the two children with a calm smile and hooded eyes.

"he-hello" Naruto stuttered, peaking out at her from behind Sakura, which earned him an amused giggle from the pinkette

"Would you like to eat with us?" Mebuki asked, turning to go down the rest of the stairs, "We're having the family special today." Naruto blinked dumbly at Mebuki as she continued down the last of the steps, he only fell out of his stooper when Kizashi walked past and ruffled his hair affectionately as he went.

"See," Sakura said with a sly smirk at Naruto, "Told you she liked you." Naruto's face blushed twenty shades of red as Sakura giggled and continued down the last of the stairs, waving at the end when he didn't move fast enough to join them.

_Is this what a family is like?_ Naruto thought as caught up to the bright haired family

_A mother?_ Mebuki chuckled as she lifted Sakura into her arms

_A father?_ Naruto gave out a startled shout when Kizashi suddenly lifted him onto his shoulders

_A sister?_ Sakura smiled up at him, waving cheerfully from her mother's side

_If I had parents, would we be like this?_

…

* * *

…

"I don't give a damn about what you want!" She shrieked, her eyes blazing bright crimson as she glared hatefully at the clan elders sitting before her as if everything was calm and peaceful. "My son is returning to Jonin status this damn instant or I'm gonna make your life hell!"

"Honey," her husband called carefully

"Don't you 'honey' me!" She rounded on him, ignoring how he looked startled at the sight of her own red eyes glaring at him, she hadn't used her own Sharingan since the war when she was a Jonin specializing in genjutsu. "I can still divorce your ass! And I have no qualms with doing so if you refuse to help Itachi get the hell out of Anbu!"

"I agree with you in getting him out of Anbu," Fugaku sighed, smiling when his wife stilled mid rant to look dumbly down at him; she was standing while everyone else was seated after all. "I don't agree to you suddenly barging in on a meeting and shouting at the top of your lungs to pull him out of Anbu. You haven't even given a reason behind this sudden desire to pull Itachi out of—"

"He's sick," Mikoto blurted out, her eyes widening when she realized what she had said. "Oh no," Mikoto sighed rubbing a hand to her face as she sank to her knees, she honestly hadn't meant to spill that bag of beans because she wanted to talk to Itachi about it herself first. It had taken her three weeks to actually land a hit on Itachi during their sparing practice, at least it took that long draw enough blood from him without him noticing.

"What do you mean he's sick?" Fugaku asked, hands raising to brace his wife before she could fall the rest of the way to the floor

"He... Itachi, he-he came back positive," Mikoto whispered brokenly, the doctor's earlier words ringing in her mind and bringing back the flood of tears she had managed to forget while on the march back to her home.

"Positive?" Fugaku repeated his breath quickening and his eyes widening, "Positive for what?"

"Hondoku"

…

* * *

…

She smirked when she saw the familiar head of shaky gray hair on a shinobi trying to drink in peace at a table with a few other Jonin's. She sauntered right up, whispered in his ear, dropped a key in his lap and didn't look back as she walked away. She went straight to her room and prepared herself for a very long night that, if it didn't go her way, would still leave the both of them comfortable with each other the next time they met. She waited nearly two hours for her familiar friend to walk through that locked door (the reason she gave him the key) and when he did she was half-asleep. Before he could even take a second step in, she was up and wrapping her arms around his neck, lips crushed to his. She felt him react by slamming the door closed on one of his teammates who tried to enter and locking it again before he could try to open the door himself. She smiled as he wrapped one arm around her waist and tugged his mask down with his free hand. She gasped as he lifted her up, she reacted by automatically wrapping her legs around his waist as he stumbled to kick off his shoes and fumbled for the bed where she had been sitting earlier. She tugged his vest off while he fumbled with her robe.

"Wait," he gasped just before they go any further, "are you sure?"

"Of course," She whispered, pulling him back in for another kiss, "better you then a stranger."

"Rin," he said in a tone of voice that said he was trying to come up with a reason why they shouldn't spend the night together.

"Kakashi," She replied with a sweet smile, fingers curling into his hair, "I'm sure"

"I've just gotten used to the thought of you being alive," Kakashi replied, voice tinting with panic, "and I just so happen to be very drunk at the moment."

"You think I'm not?" She giggled, "I'm sober enough to understand what we're doing, I just so happen to not give a damn about it." She tugged him back into another long kiss, smiling when he pulled back and buried his face in her shoulder, trying desperately to reign in his hormones before he did something stupid. "Kakashi," she whispered to him, "please?"

"We can't," he whispered back making Rin smile at the tone of voice, already knowing that he was trying to come up with reasons why they couldn't have a one-night stand; judging by the slow slur in his voice, he was having a very hard time finding an excuse.

"Shhh," she pushed his shoulder up, just enough to look into his still open and cloudy black eye, "You have two choices: either finish what you started or I can go back down stairs and antagonize the nearest man, or the first one that I see, into taking your place."

They finished the night playing Mother Nature's favorite song

…

* * *

…

She held her face as she cried in the red seat, trying to ignore how her husband sat beside her while he spook to the Hokage and how his council and are of her own clan elders were sneering at her for crying in front of others. She knew she should've been all cried out by this point but the only thing that kept surfacing in her mind was that last picture she saw in the hospital. Not the one with the two brothers laying in rubble and bleeding with the one most certainly dead, no not that one, the one that the little girl had started drawing after she handed the previous picture to her. That one showed a young man with a deranged looking smile and bright ruby eyes with blood trickling down his left cheek from his eye, his hair was navy and sticking up in short wild locks, his skin as pale as the paper he was drawn on.

It didn't require a great imagination to recognize her youngest son as a young man

"Hondoku," Fugaku whispered, drawing his wife out of her thoughts temporarily

"Is there a cure?" Hiruzen asked with a slight frown

"...technically," Fugaku answered slowly, as if he didn't like the answer

"We're not using it," Mikoto hissed, rounding red rimmed eyes onto her husband with a glare that made Hiruzen's eyes widen slightly, knowing that Mikoto's genjutsu were strong enough to leave marks in reality.

"What is this cure you're so hell bent on not using?" Hiruzen asked wirily, not wanting to set Mikoto off and end up relocating his office

"I will not put one son over the other," Mikoto hissed, eyes flickering back and forth between black and red

"...Could you please explain that?" Hiruzen asked, "I don't have the faintest clue as to what you're talking about..." Mikoto continued to glare at Fugaku, who in turned stared blandly right back at her as if he wasn't afraid of her boiling fury that could erupt into a nasty genjutsu that could possibly tear his mind apart. "Mikoto-chan?" Hiruzen called worriedly, "I'm still confused about what you're talking about... could you explain it to me please?"

"Alright," Mikoto sighed, closing her eyes and taking several deep breath to calm herself down. "Do you remember one of the village founders, Madara?" Hiruzen nodded in confusion, not sure where she was going with this, "Well he had a younger brother named Izuna. Izuna suffered from the curse of hatred, when he died he gave Madara his eyes. at thirteen Madara had been diagnosed with Hondoku, a curse that comes and goes as it pleases, returning just as we begin to forget about it's existence. When Izuna died and Madara took Izuna's eyes, Madara's curse of Hondoku was lifted and his body returned to full health... the down side is that Madara's mind followed Izuna's and he went insane."

"That was about the same time he summoned the nine tailed fox to destroy Konoha," Fugaku added while Mikoto sniffed and rubbed at her eyes tiredly. "In order to cure Hondoku, Itachi would need to replace his eyes with Sasuke's but Sasuke needs to awaken his own Sharingan to make the transplant successful."

"It would also mean that Sasuke dies," Mikoto continued, shooting a glare at Fugaku, "I will not place one child over the other. End of story, no questions asked. This is final."

"...out of curiosity, after Sasuke awakens his Sharingan, could he and Itachi switch eyes?" Hiruzen asked with a thoughtful look, "Dose Sasuke have too die to cure Itachi?"

"Unfortunately," Mikoto sniffed, "that won't work, we've tried it, the sibling who isn't sick will still die."

"What'd you mean you've tried it?" Hiruzen asked, dark eyes landing onto Mikoto questioning

"...When I was thirteen I was diagnosed with Hondoku," Mikoto answered, her face twisting into pain and regret as fresh tears burst to her eyes, "My elder sister, Sumire, had came up with the same idea. I already had my Sharingan at that point and she had awakened her's five years before, she even had the second stage. We had one of the Jonin medics at the hospital do the transplant; they took out my eyes and quickly put them into Sumire. Everything went fine, nothing went wrong with her surgery... then they gave me her eyes..." Mikoto sniffed then buried her face back into her hands, "then everything went to hell!" She wailed loudly her shoulders shaking as she started crying again, Fugaku sighed and pulled Mikoto close, knowing that her sister was still a swore subject to her and that she'd be crying for next few hours.

"the Hondoku transferred itself from Mikoto to Sumire," Fugaku explained while Mikoto cried on his shoulder, "it didn't slowly eat away at her body like it did with Mikoto, it was like a flash bomb in that it just suddenly exploded into being and ravaged her body. Turning her into mush before the doctors could do anything to stop it."

"She d-died sc-scree-eeming!" Mikoto wailed, remembering that she could hear her elder sister's screaming even in her half asleep state during the surgery.

"Could we transplant someone else's eyes into Itachi?" Hiruzen asked softly, now understanding Sumire's sudden death when she had been completely healthy the day before.

"That won't work," Fugaku replied, "Our ancestors found out the hard way that the closer the relation the better the chance of survival. Itachi's donor has to be blood related, the closer in relation the better effects."

"So only Sasuke could save Itachi," Hiruzen sighed, "how long dose Itachi have?"

"Madara was 21 when Izuna died," Fugaku answered, "we have no records on weather or not anyone could live past that age. Most die before they hit twenty."

"Why have you come here with your problem?" Danzo asked suddenly, "What do you want us to do about it?"

"We want you to get Itachi out of Anbu," Fugaku replied, "he's thirteen for crying out loud, he doesn't belong in Anbu. We don't expect you to de-rank him to genin, Jonin will do, but he has to get out of Anbu, it's affecting his mentality too much."

"What do you mean?" Hiruzen asked

"He's stiff, wiry, the slightest misplaced sound has him on edge," Mikoto sniffed, her tears over her dead sister drying. "He's regarding the clan with less and less respect, like he's growing resentful of it... he needs to be a lower rank shinobi with less responsibility and requirements. Anbu is pushing him too hard. He needs a break—"

"I thought you both were oh so proud of Itachi's accomplishments?" Danzo asked, his voice laced with mockery

"We are," Mikoto sniffed, frowning at the old man, "but he needs to slow down. He's still a child not a man, we can't push him too hard or his mind will snap."

"Anbu is putting too much stress on him," Fugaku agreed, eyes narrow on Danzo, as if daring him to interrupt or contradict him. "We're not asking you Danzo-sama to kick Itachi out of Anbu or even to put him on ministrant-ive leave. We're _demanding_ you to release him of Anbu and return him to Jonin status so he can go to therapy, both for his mind and his body."

"Alright," Hiruzen agreed before Danzo could say anything, "Itachi will return to Jonin status and see Tsunade about his condition. We'll see if she can't at least create a medicine for him to use until a proper cure could be formed for him."

"_If_ a proper cure could be formed," Mikoto whimpered rubbing at her eyes

"If," Hiruzen agreed just as sadly, "is that all Mikoto-chan?" Mikoto blinked and nodded numbly at him, slowly the elders and Uchiha's left Hiruzen's office.

"Oh!" Mikoto gasped just before she reached the door, startling her husband and stilling everyone else, "Lord Hokage, I just remembered something that I wanted to speak to you about a while back." Mikoto said turning around to look at the old man still sitting at his desk, "can I speak to you about it now?"

"I don't see why not," Hiruzen replied, waving her in. Mikoto bobbed her head and pushed her husband out the door, she went to close the door on his befuddled face when a foot slammed in between the door and the wall.

"Remove your foot Councilman Danzo before I crush it into next week," Mikoto said evenly, unaffected by the resulting glare shot at her.

"What is so important that you must speak to Hiruzen by your self?" Danzo asked

"It's none of your damn concern," Mikoto shot back, still spiteful of the man despite his relationship to her Hokage. The door pressed a little harder on the old man's foot and Mikoto took sadistic pleasure in seeing the little twitch to the man's eye, knowing that was about as close to a flinch as she was going to get from the old war hawk.

"I don't trust you," Danzo replied with a low growl, "how do we know that you're not going to use your Sharingan on him to get what you want?"

"Oh I don't know, properly because he already agreed to what I want?" Mikoto asked, batting her eyes at him mockingly, "besides what I have to say to him is more like a request not a demand, plus it has nothing to do with you so you don't have to worry about it."

"Mikoto," Fugaku sighed, looking as if he wanted to rub at his temple, "manners, don't forget your manners."

"I'll dish out my manners when he pulls out that stick shoved up his—"

"Mikoto," Fugaku interrupted with a warning tone of voice

"he doesn't have to be concerned for Hokage-sama," Mikoto sighed opening the door and rolling her eyes, "Itachi's in here protecting him. we all know just how loyal he is to Hiruzen so don't be so damned panicked about everything."

"Wait he heard everything?" Fugaku asked, his eyes widening slightly

"I think you need a good ol' fashioned spare with Itachi," Mikoto replied dully to her husband, "Now councilman Danzo, remove your foot before I attempt to crush it _again_." She smiled at the old man sweetly, the hard glint in her obsidian eyes said she'd take great pleasure in causing the old man pain.

"It's alright Danzo," Hiruzen chuckled from his seat, "Mikoto-chan's right, Itachi is here so I doubt she'll do anything to me." _She'd never dare to dream of hurting that boy..._

"how do we know that he won't finish what she attempts to start?" Danzo asked

"Okay now I'm lost," Mikoto sighed shaking her head, "What is going on in that head of yours now?"

"He thinks you'll try to assassinate me," Hiruzen answered helpfully, "he's paranoid my dear, please ignore him."

"Me assassinate you?" Mikoto snorted and rolled her eyes, "My son is liable to remove my head if I so much as twitch wrong. I'm no fool in thinking that I can beat him or any other Anbu for that matter, my son wins every spare we have so I'm not that concerned about it."

"Mikoto, Itachi wouldn't kill you," Fugaku said in atone of slight distress

"If I became a threat to this village, then yes he would," Mikoto replied to her husband evenly, "hell I'd to do the same if our rolls were reversed. So I can't be mad at him for it, knowing that I'd have it coming."

"You'd kill Itachi?" Fugaku asked, his face paling and his eyes widening

"_If_ he became a threat to this village," Mikoto stressed, "Which is never going to happen so no worries."

"Oh like there were no worries about the Kiyobi breaking lose form _her_?" Danzo asked with a low growl, "We all know that the Sharingan can control the kiyo—" Danzo coughed as Mikoto's hand lashed out and long bony fingers wrapped around Danzo's neck before he could finish his sentence. Fugaku moved automatically, covering Mikoto's back when one of the agents hiding in the room moved to attack; he smoothly knocked him in the wall and stole his sword when his partner tried to cut him in half.

"How dare you accuse the Uchiha clan of treason," Mikoto hissed lowly, her eyes flaring bright crimson as she glared hatefully at Danzo who tried to claw at her small wrist, trying to get her to let go. Smoothly two other agents landed on either side of Mikoto, both with swords drawn, with Hiruzen had flash stepped into the hallway behind Danzo. "Just because you've forgotten your bonds dose not mean that everyone else in the village has," Mikoto hissed, ignoring how Itachi starred at her with his own wide and slightly panicked red eyes, hidden behind his mask but not from her own Sharingan eyes.

"It was I who adopted Kushina into the Uchiha clan, I called her sister, I named her Uchiha when everyone else turned their back on her because of the Kiyobi's sealing into her." Mikoto's bony fingers seemed to tighten on Danzo's throat, making his face begin to turn blue from lack of air, "Do not forget that it was Fugaku who saved Minato's life a dozen times over during the war, all the while knowing that some day he'd achieve his dream and become Yondaime Hokage. _Do not_ forget that our bounds were that of siblings to Minato and Kushina; _do not_ forget that everything we do is in their memory."

"Mother," Itachi's voice was soft as he sheathed his sword and raised his hands peacefully at her, "mother please let go of him." Mikoto's eyes narrowed further at Danzo, her fury rolling off her in thick waves, her chakra automatically making the walls warp in the beginnings of a genjutsu that was bound to destroy the building and Danzo's mind.

"Mother," Itachi called softly, placing one hand on Mikoto's arm, "please?" Mikoto's glare didn't lesson and Danzo's face began to darken; just as Fugaku was about to say something from his stand off with the Anbu agent inside the room, Mikoto dropped Danzo like a sack of rocks.

"I'm sorry Itachi," Mikoto said with a sad smile aimed at her masked son, "I let my emotions get the better of me again. I guess I should be proud that you didn't get that from me, I'd rather you have your father's personality then my own."

"Hay," Fugaku called from her other side

"Oh relax, in this instant it's a compliment," Mikoto giggled at her husband, shooting Itachi a mischievous smile.

"You okay Danzo?" Hiruzen asked as Danzo pushed himself back to his feet, glaring hatefully at Mikoto

"I'm fine," Danzo hissed, glare not lessoning, his fingers twitching within his long sleeves with the urge to throw a kunai through the woman's neck.

"Good," Mikoto chimed cheerfully at him, "because I would hate for you to die with the misunderstanding that any plain Sharingan could control the great Kiyobi." Mikoto's amusement seemed to grow ten fold as Danzo's glare sharpened and deepened on her, "after all the only way is with the Mangekyō Sharingan, the second stage of the Sharingan. So your little stunt with blaming the Kiyobi attack on the Uchiha clan just went up in smoke."

"How so?" Danzo asked with a tone of voice promising pain and destruction

"the only ones who have the Mangekyō Sharingan are, as follows: Fugaku, myself, and Kakashi Hatake." Mikoto grinned at him, taking in a little too much delight in Danzo's furious face, "Fugaku earned his when he stumbled upon Minato and Kushina dyeing before the seal was complete on little Naruto-kun; so obviously it wasn't him because the Kiyobi attack happened before he earned it. I earned my Mangekyō when I blamed myself for Sumire's death, but it still couldn't be me because 1) I wasn't in the village at that point in time and 2) I would never dare to hurt Kushina because she _was my sister_. As for Kakashi? He was protecting the civilians with everyone else his age, plus there is no way in the seven hells that he would even think of hurting Minato. That man was as close to a father as Kakashi had, he couldn't hurt him if he tried."

"She's right Danzo," Hiruzen smiled at his old friend, "your theories just went up in smoke."

"What about the Coup?" Danzo asked, only to still as he realized that he had spoken out loud

"Coup?" Mikoto asked with a narrow eyed look at the old man, "What coupe?"

"there are rumors flying around that the Uchiha clan is planning a coup," Hiruzen explained, "I've been trying to explain to him that you two wouldn't—"

"Love," Mikoto called with a dangerous tilt to her voice, she wasn't even looking at Hiruzen, instead she was glaring down the hall where their elders had been standing just before the whole ruckus began.

"I know," Fugaku grunted from the doorway, "I'm a little busy at the moment."

"Oh you can stop trying to kill him now," Mikoto and Hiruzen said at the same time, both turned to look at the other startled.

"They're no longer a threat," Hiruzen chuckled, clapping a hand on Mikoto's shoulder with a fond looking smile

"Yes sir," the agent relented his pressure on Fugaku's defensive posture

"Woo, I need to get back into training," Fugaku sighed, setting his borrowed sword against the wall turning to address his wife, "Let me guess, pull the clan together and figure out who stands where?"

"Please?" Mikoto asked, batting her eyelashes at him. Fugaku snorted and rolled his eyes; smiling mischievously, Mikoto stood on her tiptoes and whispered in his ear.

"I'll have list for you in the morning lord Hokage," Fugaku said before he disappeared in a cloud of smoke, leaving behind a giggly Mikoto and a very confused Itachi.

"So," Hiruzen coughed to clear his throat, not quite believing that Mikoto had just did that, "What was it that you wanted to say to me again?"

"Oh yeah," Mikoto smiled and moved into Hiruzen's office, Itachi and Hiruzen close behind, "it's about my clan lord Hokage." Mikoto said, watching Hiruzen close the door on Danzo's face and locking it

"Oh?" Hiruzen turned to look at Mikoto, mind distracted with just how fast she had moved to correct Danzo not even five minutes before, "how so?"

"I think we've been segregated long enough," Mikoto said seriously, "I think it's time we start getting back in the village and socializing again. Being all cooped up with no one but your family creates strains and breaks bonds. We need to get back into the village and remind ourselves what we're fighting for."

"Do you have any ideas?" Hiruzen asked curiously

"I would like to attend the academy and teach those with Genjutsu affinity some of my own jutsu," Mikoto said, "Though I doubt that'll happen because of Danzo, I'd still like to do something that'll allow me to teach. Everyone else I'll have to leave to you because I can't suggest their placements without Danzo turning it into a conspiracy theory."

"I understand," Hiruzen nodded; glad that Mikoto was smart enough to understand that Danzo was gunning after her clan and was already planning to derail any future attempts at doing anything against them. "I'll do what I can for you, Mikoto-chan"

They both shared an understanding smirk

…

* * *

…

**I think I had a little too much fun with Mikoto and Danzo in this one...**

**Did I cram too much into this chapter?**

**Thoughts are helpful**

**Opinions are wonderful**

**Helpful criticism****is**** lovely! Just don't cripple me okay?**

**Please no cursing!**

**And don't forget to ****rate and ****review!**

**Page 16**


	12. Chapter 12

**Something New**

Chapter 12: Nightmare scenario

Koomahana

**Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine; you want the real stuff get off this site**

_Thoughts_

_Paragraphs are memories_

…

* * *

…

Recap

…

* * *

…

"So," Hiruzen coughed to clear his throat, "What was it that you wanted to say to me again?"

"Oh yeah," Mikoto smiled and moved into Hiruzen's office, Itachi and Hiruzen close behind, "it's about my clan lord Hokage." Mikoto said, watching Hiruzen close the door on Danzo's face and locking it

"Oh?" Hiruzen turned to look at Mikoto, mind distracted with just how fast she had moved to correct Danzo not even five minutes before, "how so?"

"I think we've been segregated long enough," Mikoto said seriously, "I think it's time we start getting back in the village and socializing again. Being all cooped up with no one but your family creates strains and breaks bonds. We need to get back into the village and remind ourselves what we're fighting for."

"Do you have any ideas?" Hiruzen asked curiously

"I would like to attend the academy and teach those with Genjutsu affinity some of my own jutsu," Mikoto said, "Though I doubt that'll happen because of Danzo, I'd still like to do something that'll allow me to teach. Everyone else I'll have to leave to you because I can't suggest their placements without Danzo turning it into a conspiracy theory."

"I understand," Hiruzen nodded; glad that Mikoto was smart enough to understand that Danzo was gunning after her clan and was already planning to derail any future attempts at doing anything against them. "I'll do what I can for you, Mikoto-chan"

They both shared an understanding smirk

…

* * *

…

End Recap

…

* * *

…

"So we've decided," she smiled and gave a kiss to her husband, "We'll adopt Naruto together."

"I'll deliver the message now then," Kizashi smirked, gathering up the paper work on the table and rising to his feet, "I'll leave you to find our new house then."

"Ne~ we could always convert your office for his room," Mebuki chuckled, smirking when Kizashi's foot slammed head first on the corner of their kitchen wall. Kizashi grumbled under his breath but kept moving for the door anyways, Mebuki looked a the time and smoothly rose to her feet.

"I better get the kids," Mebuki said thoughtfully, grabbing her purse and moving towards the back door, the fastest way from her house to the civilian shinobi academy her daughter and soon to be son attended. After all, their shinobi academy was split into three sections: the 6-8 civilian school, the 6-8 shinobi clan school, and the 9-12 final shinobi academy. The academy was located next door to the Kage tower while the clan school and the civilian school were located in equal but opposite sides of the village.

_Maybe I'll buy some Oshiruko and Shiratama Anmitsu,_ Mebuki thought as she walked out into the crowd leading towards the market district, _Naruto-kun and Sakura-chan would like that..._

…

* * *

…

"Aniki!" she couldn't help but to turn at the excited voice that seemed to go off like a rocket in her ear, wincing slightly as a body barreled straight past her, she stumbled into the blonde on her other side.

"You okay Sakura-chan?" the blonde asked worriedly, hands raised to either side of her protectively

"Yeah," Sakura mumbled with a slight frown, rubbing her hand over her sore arm as she looked at the person who barreled past without apologizing to her. "Just fine," she stared at the excited navy haired boy who tackled the older black haired boy with laughter and giggles. Naruto looked at the other boy, frowned and quickly marched towards him with a stern glare settled over his face; knowing just the kind of person her friend was Sakura hurried after Naruto.

"Hay you!" Naruto bellowed moving towards the laughing boy and his older brother; both dark eyed boys looked at him curiously.

"What do you want loser?" the shorter boy asked rudely, eyes narrowed into a glare at the two kids moving towards him

"Apologize to Sakura-chan!" Naruto ordered, hands fisted at his side as he glare intensified

"Naruto," Sakura called softly, raising her hands peacefully to the blonde, "it's okay, he didn't mean to—"

"But Sakura-chan you almost fell down!" Naruto insisted, "if I didn't catch you would've—"

"Sakura-chan?" the four turned at the soft voice

"Miko-chan!" Sakura shouted with a bright smile, moving away from her friend to barrel into the elegant black haired woman standing at the gates with a smile.

"Easy little one," Mikoto chuckled, catching Sakura easily, "How have you been? Not getting sick I hope," she added playfully

"Of course not Miko-chan, I've been perfectly healthy!" Sakura insisted, "The doctors even agreed to let me do some sparing this Friday! They say I've finally grown strong enough for it!"

"That's good," Mikoto chuckled crouching to Sakura's height with an amused smile, "Say do you remember those—"

"Mama!" the boy Naruto was attempting to scold earlier shouted, knocking into Mikoto hard enough to knock her off her feet and send Sakura stumbling back words into Naruto again.

"Sasuke / Sakura-chan!" Mikoto and Naruto called out at the same time, Mikoto in disapproval and Naruto worriedly

"Are you okay Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked, preventing Mikoto from scolding Sasuke

"I'm fine Naruto," Sakura pouted rubbing at her sore arm again, "I'm not glass..."

"Are you sure you're okay?" Naruto asked, ignoring her mumble about glass, "You've been rubbing that arm since he hit you..."

"He didn't hit me," Sakura replied with a sigh, "he bumped into me."

"Sakura-chan," Mikoto called, holding one hand out to the pinkette, "Will you let me see?"

"I'm not hurt," Sakura sighed showing Mikoto her arm, taking a deep breath when Mikoto lifted her long sleeve and examined the splash of red on her arm, "It's just a little sore, that's all."

"Well it doesn't look like you'll be seriously hurt," Mikoto said thoughtfully, "but just in case," Mikoto turned to a pouting Sasuke and giving him a warning look, "Sasuke Uchiha—Apologize." Sasuke looked completely stunned at the order, weather for the fact that his mother was ordering him to apologize or for the fact that she was ordering him to apologize to a complete stranger with no family ties was beyond Sakura and Naruto. Although Naruto was snickering at the dark eyed boy's expense, so maybe he didn't stop to think about it as hard as Sakura did.

"Sorry," Sasuke grumbled, with a pout, not really looking at anyone other than his mother

"Good," Mikoto bobbed her head and ruffled Sasuke's hair affectionately, "now then Sakura-chan, I have a question for you." Mikoto said spinning on the balls of her feet to look at Sakura, still crouched between the three children.

"What is it Miko-chan?" Sakura asked curiously

"Mikoto!" Sasuke growled at her, "Mom's name is Mikoto! Not Miko! Use it!"

"Sasuke," Mikoto reprimanded, "I gave her permission to call me that."

"Oh," Sasuke sighed and looked down at his feet, glaring at Naruto when the blonde started to chuckle

"Now then, Sakura-chan do you still have those pictures you showed me?" Mikoto asked turning to look at Sakura curiously

"Uh-huh," Sakura smiled, "I even got Ma'am to help me put them all together into a folder, just like you asked me to!"

"That's great," Mikoto smiled

"I wasn't sure when we met again so I've added some since last time," Sakura continued before frowning slightly, "When can I give them to you? or where do you work so I can take them to you after school?"

"Oh well you can bringing them tomorrow," Mikoto smiled, "because starting tomorrow, I'll be teaching here!"

"Huh?" the four children sounded together, blinking with wide eyes at the giggling woman

"That's right," Mikoto smiled, "Starting tomorrow, I'll be an academy instructor!"

"She's your mom right?" Naruto asked Sasuke curiously, ignoring how Sakura launching herself at Mikoto for a hug and giggling

"Yeah and your point?" Sasuke retorted with narrowed eyes at the blond

"You have a teacher for a parent," Naruto replied with a sly look, "You can't lie to her about not having Homework"

"I couldn't lie to her about that before," Sasuke sighed, his shoulders slumping slightly

…

* * *

…

Two weeks later

…

* * *

…

"So the paper work is nearly complete now?" Kizashi asked with a smile

"Yes," Hiruzen smiled, "Another day and you'll be approved to adopt Naruto Uzumaki."

"That's great Lord Hokage!" Kizashi laughed heart fully, "I'll make sure to tell Mebuki!"

"Don't forget to tell Naruto," Hiruzen chuckled

"I wont, I wont," Kizashi chuckled, "By the way Lord Hokage, can I ask you something?"

"Hmm? What is it?" Hiruzen asked, sucking on his smoking pipe

Kizashi's grin turned into a devious smirk, "You wouldn't happen to have given the paper work special attention did you?"

"Now, why would you think that?" Hiruzen asked with a chuckle, his own dark eyes dancing in amusement

"Ah~ I suppose that was a stupid question," Kizashi chuckled himself, "thank you lord Hokage—for all that you've done for us."

"Think nothing of it," Hiruzen chuckled in amusement, watching Kizashi walk out of his office with a hop and a skip to his step. Hiruzen spun in his seat, regarding the mountain and the stone faces it housed.

_What ever it takes,_ Hiruzen thought, his smile fading slightly, _I promised to keep him safe..._

…

* * *

…

"Ha! Told you I'd get the highest scores!" he growled lowly at her, agitated beyond words by her smug tone of voice

"You might be book smart but I beat you in Taijutsu!" Sasuke replied, holding his own report card up for her to see

"Yeah but I beat both of you!" Naruto laughed loudly, waving his own report card in front of them

"Naruto," Sakura said softly, confusion twisting her features, "how do you figure that you beat us both?"

"Yeah dube, you've got striate F's," Sasuke frowned at the blond

"Fs mean Fantastic!" Naruto laughed

"No they don't," Sasuke huffed, "If they did I'd have straight Fs. You're an idiot, like usual"

"Why you—!"

"Naruto-kun Fs stand for failure," Sakura sighed, stopping the fight before it began

"What?! Really, Sakura-chan?!" no matter what Sasuke said he was always wrong and no matter what Sakura said she was always right—even if she repeated Sasuke

"Uh-huh," Sakura bobbed her own head, showing him her own card, "See? I have all As, Bs and one C"

"You also have an E in Sparing," Sasuke drawled, giving Sakura an unimpressed look

"That's not my fault!" Sakura whined at him, "My doctors won't let me try it! I can do everything else in PE now but I can't do sparing!"

"Ne~ Sakura-chan, doesn't E stand for excellent?" Naruto asked tilting his head to the side curiously

"No Naruto," Sakura giggled, "Thank you for the compliment though."

"E stands for excused Baka," Sasuke rolled his eyes

"Okay so what about As, Bs, Cs and Ds?" Naruto asked

"A's mean Awesome!" Sakura giggled with bright, dancing eyes. "B's mean umm..." Sakura paused, crossing her arms as she thought about what B could stand for "they mean..."

"Basic," Sasuke said suddenly, as if the thought had just occurred to him, "B's stand for 'Basic grade'."

"What about C's then?" Sakura asked curiously "I'm at a lost on that one."

"Crap?" Sasuke replied thoughtfully, tilting his head to the side, "Could it be that?"

"Sasuke Uchiha" all three turned very pale at the sound of the young Uchiha's mother, "did I just hear you curse?" they turned in unison at the voice full of the promise of punishment, standing behind them was Mikoto, her brow twitching and hands on her hips.

"Uh... no?" Sasuke tried in a week voice

"You're grounded!" Mikoto screeched up Sasuke's ear and proceed to march the two of them all the way back to the clan compound; Sakura watched worriedly while Naruto nearly collapsed in laughter.

…

* * *

…

She starred down at the papers in front of her with dull eyes, not wanting to belief what the papers were saying, not wanting to belief what the papers were hinting at—she didn't want to belief what she was told. Her daughter was eight years old for crying aloud. She couldn't have orccastriated a kidnapping from across the map, fraught countless shinobi of varying strengths without getting a scratch, organized a hidden village—which was nearly imposable to find—, nor could she have told Naruto about his inheritance or his parents sacrifices in a round about way that he would someday figure out.

Her daughter had never left the village, so how the hell was this even possible?

Sighing Mebuki glanced out her window for a moment, taking in the full moon and winking stars, before she turned back to her paper covered desk. Shifting through the papers lazily, Mebuki saw the edge of a picture half hidden in the file and carefully reached for it, intending to pull it out. However, she never got the chance to look at the picture, a blood-curdling scream echoed through her home—emanating from her daughter's room

"Sakura!" Mebuki shouted, already at the base of the stairs and sling shooting herself up to the second floor to barrel down the hall for her child's room like a bull. Her husband was close behind her, nearly passing her in the thin hall, they both slammed open their daughter's bedroom door and quickly examined the room with sharp eyes before they moved over to their thrashing daughter.

"Sakura!" Kizashi shouted, moving to restrain their child while Mebuki moved to cover her daughter's open window, wondering just when it got open. "Sakura wake up! It's just a dream! Wake up!" Mebuki turned at the sound of her husband's panicked sounding voice, eyes widening when she saw that her daughter was still thrashing wildly in her bed, eyes wide like saucers and mouth gaping wide as if she was trying to take in more air then what her body was getting.

"Sakura!" Mebuki snapped all but diving forward to help restrain her daughter before she managed to hurt herself, "Wake up!"

"Sakura!" Kizashi shouted, panic stricken tears threatening his blue eyes

"Now is not the time to panic!" she shouted at her husband, not seeing her daughter's eyes round onto her in startled fear, "Now is the time to fight!"

"Fight what?! Our daughter?!" Kizashi asked loudly, "She's dreaming! And this is the worse it's ever been! She's not waking up this time!"

"Sakura Haruno!" Mebuki barked, her voice cracking with frustration, "Wake up!" Sakura stilled instantly, her breaths coming in too quickly to be healthily, as if she was hyperventilating, her green eyes were still wide, making Mebuki fear that they would start to bleed with how far they were stretching.

"Good girl," Kizashi sniffed, loosening his hold on Sakura's arms to pat her head reassuringly, "good girl." Mebuki collapsed next to her daughter, her own breathing coming in hard and quick, as if she ran from Suna to Konoha in a day; her hands were wrapped tightly around one of her daughter's hands, trembling with enough force to nearly shake Sakura's entire arm. Sakura continued to pant hard, her eyes still too wide and her mouth still gaping wide open, looking like one of those terrified fake corpses you'd find in a horror movie.

"Sakura, love," Kizashi called softly, stroking his daughter's head affectionately, "What did you dream to night?"

"Kizashi," Mebuki snapped, lifting her head softly, her eyes suddenly widened and both her arms moved in different directions, "Kizashi!" She pushed her husband away and jerked her still panicked stricken daughter close, leaping away from the bed just as it was riddled with kunai and shiriken. Mebuki's eyes snapped towards her daughter's still open door, subconscious already noting how the weapons had been aimed to pin Sakura to her bed and yet they were aimed to kill Kizashi.

"Run!" Kizashi snapped diving over Sakura's bed, blocking several weapons as Mebuki adjusted her hold on Sakura.

"Follow!" Mebuki ordered, diving out the window back first, keeping her eyes locked onto her husband as he tried to follow. Smirking as she landed on the small landing of her daughter's bedroom window, her eyes dancing when Kizashi was quick to follow her, together they blocked the weapons, sent explosives and ran together far from their home.

"Mebuki!" Kizashi bellowed when a few kunai got to close for comfort, one scraping against her upper arm, "We can't keep this up! We have to fight!"

"Not with Sakura present!" Mebuki argued, "I'm not scaring my child!"

"Only one of us—" Kizashi spun and blocked a barrage of weapons, "has to stay!"

"I'm the Jonin!" Mebuki bellowed, sliding to a stop, "Take Sakura and run!"

"But—!" Kizashi coughed as Mebuki all but smashed a limp Sakura into his arms and ran straight into the dark mass chasing them. Gritting his teeth, and trying to ignore the sting in his eyes, Kizashi spun and left his wife behind to deal with the dark mass attacking them.

…

* * *

…

**Thoughts are helpful**

**Opinions are wonderful**

**Helpful criticism****is**** lovely! Just don't cripple me okay?**

**Please no cursing!**

**And don't forget to**** rate and**** review!**

**Page 9**


	13. Chapter 13

**Something New**

Chapter 13: protecting the spring

Koomahana

**Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine; you want the real stuff get off this site**

_Thoughts_

_Paragraphs are memories_

…

* * *

…

Recap

…

* * *

…

"Kizashi!" She pushed her husband away and jerked her still panicked stricken daughter close, leaping away from the bed just as it was riddled with kunai and shiriken. Mebuki's eyes snapped towards her daughter's still open door, subconscious already noting how the weapons had been aimed to pin Sakura to her bed and yet they were aimed to kill Kizashi.

"Run!" Kizashi snapped diving over Sakura's bed, blocking several weapons as Mebuki adjusted her hold on Sakura.

"Follow!" Mebuki ordered, diving out the window back first, keeping her eyes locked onto her husband as he tried to follow. Smirking as she landed on the small landing of her daughter's bedroom window, her eyes dancing when Kizashi was quick to follow her, together they blocked the weapons, sent explosives and ran together far from their home.

"Mebuki!" Kizashi bellowed when a few kunai got to close for comfort, one scraping against her upper arm, "We can't keep this up! We have to fight!"

"Not with Sakura present!" Mebuki argued, "I'm not scaring my child!"

"Only one of us—" Kizashi spun and blocked a barrage of weapons, "has to stay!"

"I'm the Jonin!" Mebuki bellowed, sliding to a stop, "Take Sakura and run!"

"But—!" Kizashi coughed as Mebuki all but smashed a limp Sakura into his arms and ran straight into the dark mass chasing them. Gritting his teeth, and trying to ignore the sting in his eyes, Kizashi spun and left his wife behind to deal with the dark mass attacking them.

…

* * *

…

End Recap

…

* * *

…

He smiled as he walked with his cousin and mother, happy that they were able to soot Danzo's theory to smithereens the previous night. Tonight they had gone out for dinner with a few close relatives, excited that a crisis had been adverted but sadly their high energy and endless excitement had been forced into a close by the sound of an explosion. Instantly the matriarch, her son and nephew, along with three other relatives were instantly in battle positions, Sharingan eyes blazing to life into lethal glares. At the end of the street a tall man with pastel pink hair was stumbling to a stop, wounded and banged up, he stumbled further down the street carrying something small and pale in his arms.

"Sakura!" Mikoto screamed, dashing forward with wide terrified eyes, barely even noticing how her relatives where already moving forward to protect and help the stumbling man.

"Mi-Mikoto," Kizashi coughed, blood dribbling past his lips as he collapsed on the ground, letting Mikoto and Itachi catch him while Shisui and Fugaku protected them.

"What happened?" Mikoto asked in a panic, letting her class mate lean against her as she pulled out the weapons from his back, "Where's Mebuki?"

"Sh-she fe-ell b-back..." Kizashi answered weakly, "...ga-ave us-s t-time..."

"When?" Mikoto asked, bobbing her head at Itachi as he pulled a limp Sakura from Kizashi's quickly weakening arms, "Where did she fall back?"

"...a block..." Kizashi wheezed, eyes glued to his still shivering daughter in his once teammate's son's arms, "n-no he-help... a-alo~one..."

"How long ago?" Mikoto asked, breaths coming in quick, tears threatening her crimson eyes, her chakra threatening her surroundings

"Sh-she cou-ouldn-n't," Kizashi coughed and wheezed, fresh tears slipping down his bruised and battered cheeks, "Cou-n't..." Mikoto gasped brokenly, her arms enveloping the larger man carefully, hands glowing a faint green. "...pro-pro...te-tect... he-her~" Mebuki let out an anguished cry, her chakra ceased flowing to her palms, choosing instead to lash out at the nearest attacking shadow, forcing the dark mass into a world of terror and horror.

"Mikoto!" Fugaku barked out, diving behind her and protecting her from a barrage of thrown weapons, "Get Sakura out of here! Itachi guard her! Shisui cover them!"

"Yes sir/Oto-san!" the two boys in question jumped to their feet, both moving to flank the matriarch

"Mother!" Itachi shouted, snatching his mother's shoulder and forcefully moving her to look at him, "Mother we have to go!" Mikoto nodded dully, crimson eyes moving to look at Sakura; letting go of Kizashi carefully, Mikoto ignored the blood staining her body and reached to take Sakura from her son, cradling her like a glass doll.

"Let's go," Mikoto ordered, rising to her feet and dashing off into the night, both boys hot on her heals. "Shisui! Get to lord Hokage! Itachi! Cover me!"

_Not that I need to,_ Itachi thought as his cousin disappeared from sight, he could see his mother was already weaving a complex illusion around them, concealing them from sight and yet attacking the moving shadow's sanities in the same move. He had seen more then one of them suddenly shout and clutch at their throat or face as if some kind of monster had gotten a hold on them.

His mother was known as 'sincere nightmare' for a reason

No one screwed with a pissed genjutsu mistress who just so happened to hold the Mangekyō Sharingan as her Ace—your worst nightmare always became the last thing you see.

…

* * *

…

He had just finished reading through the last of his paper work on his desk, smirk widening at the final papers for the adoption the Haruno family were trying to accomplish. He signed off on it and had his fastest runner take the papers straight to the Haruno family, his runner had just left when he felt a familiar signature moving fast towards him.

"Lord Hokage!" he turned at the panicked shouted, eyes widening as a Sharingan wielding Shisui landed and slipped on the roof just outside his window, "We're under attack!"

"Are you sure of this?" Hiruzen asked, unable to belief as no major signs of attack had been shown, yet even as the words feel past his lips he was signing to his men to sound the alarm and aid the fight that was taking place somewhere.

"We came across Kizashi carrying his daughter Sakura," Shisui panted, "Mikoto-sama and Itachi are taking her to the hospital. Fugaku and five of our stronger clansmen are dealing with the shinobi we found attacking him."

"Did you get a good look at them?" Hiruzen asked

"Just that they liked to play with shadows," Shisui answered, "They're no Nara's but they didn't exactly play nice either. They like poisons and surprise attacks."

"What of Mebuki and Kizashi?" Hiruzen asked, already dreading the answered

"Kizashi is dead," Shisui answered with lips pressed tight, "as for Mebuki? She... she stayed behind to give him time..."

"Not enough I take it," Hiruzen sighed, understanding that Sakura had officially been made an orphan, "and Sakura-chan? How is she doing?"

"I don't know," Shisui answered truthfully, "it looked like she was under a paralyzeing genjutsu... her eyes were open..."

"She saw everything?" Hiruzen asked, horrified by the news

"Afraid so sir," Shisui admitted, "if that is all, I'd like to get back and help my uncle now..."

"Not without me," Hiruzen growled, suddenly furious. He ripped off his robs and dived out the window of his office, dark eyes promising pain and suffering to his unlucky victim. "Show me the way!"

"Yes sir!'

…

* * *

…

A few hours later

…

* * *

…

She sat beside the hospital bed, back to the window; her hand wrapped around the sleeping child laying in front of her, her pink hair slick with sweat was plastered to her face and neck. Her face pale and her eyes were moving behind her closed lids as if in a nightmare.

Mikoto could guess that nightmare

The little seven, almost eight, year old girl had watched both of her parents die right before her

"Mother?" she turned slightly at the whisper soft voice, her eyes not moving from the sleeping child laying before her, "Mother... lord Hokage wants to talk to you..." she turned at that, black eyes hollow and cold as she looked up at the old man she knew since child hood, the man who had placed her with her two best friends and the man who single handily saved her entire clan in a single night.

"Lord Hokage," Mikoto addressed him calmly, "What is it?"

"Itachi told me that Kizashi had a request for you," Hiruzen said softly, trying not to wake the tiny child sleeping in the bed between them, "Could you possibly tell me what it was?"

"Yes lord Hokage," Mikoto bobbed her head and turned her attention back onto the tiny child sleeping on the bed, "He asked me to protect her." Hiruzen sighed, already knowing that Mikoto would do everything in her power to adopt Sakura and in his heart, that there was nowhere safer for Sakura to be then with the Uchiha clan and ultimately with Mikoto.

"Is it a request for the clan or for you?" Hiruzen asked, Mikoto shot him an agitated look, "of you. That's good; it'll be easier to deal with the council now."

"Mother," Itachi called nervously, moving forward to take his place on the other side of Sakura, "what are you going to do?"

"...adopt," Mikoto answered softly, smiling faintly at her eldest son; she opened her mouth to speak but a broken sounding cry interrupted her.

"No!" they snapped around at the pained shout, eyes' immanently locking in on the little blond boy struggling in Hiruzen's arms, "It's not true! It's not!" tears were streaming down his scared cheeks, his blue eyes looking like endless pools of water, "They couldn't be! They're not! I just saw them last night!" Naruto stopped struggling in Hiruzen's hold, letting the old man wrap him in his arms and rocked him back and forth, crying loudly as he clutched at the old man.

"I'm sorry Naruto," Hiruzen whispered, "I'm so sorry—"

"B-but they p-prom-is-ised!" Naruto wailed suddenly, burying his face into Hiruzen's neck, "They pr-promi-issed we'd be a-a-a _family_!" Hiruzen sighed, his arms tightening around the hysterical little boy, remembering the paper work he had finished barely even five minutes before Shisui arrived to tell him the bad news.

"Naruto-kun," Mikoto called softly, catching the attention of watery orbs instantly, "are you saying that Mebuki-chan was intending to adopt you?"

"Uh-huh," Naruto sniffed and nodded, "Sh-she said we-we'd be a-a-a _real_ family..." Mikoto closed her eyes and nodded slightly, she took one last long look at Sakura before she gestured to Itachi to stand.

"Naruto-kun," Mikoto called moving to the end of the bed, she kneeled and opened her arms out to him. Naruto left Hiruzen's arms like a bottle rocket, barreling into Mikoto's arms with renewed vigor and fresh tears. Mikoto rocked him for a moment before she rose to her feet with him in her arms and carefully moved to the side of Sakura's bed where there weren't any wires or needles sticking out of her skin. As carefully as she had lifted him, Mikoto gently laid him beside Sakura; she gently lifted the blanket and re-wrapping the newly named siblings. Naruto sniffed and snuggled in closer to Sakura, one hand clenching against hers under the blanket, trying to find comfort in her warmth. Mikoto's hands clenched tightly as she stared at the two 'siblings', already understanding that she could no longer have the opportunity to adopt Sakura. At least not without adopting Naruto and there was no way the council would allow that to happen.

"Mikoto-chan," Hiruzen called softly, turning and leaving the room, silently telling Mikoto to follow him.

"Stay here Itachi," Mikoto ordered dully, spinning on her heal and following Hiruzen out of the room and down the hall; Itachi nodded his head just as the door closed with a snap. Mikoto took a deep breath and followed Hiruzen down the pasty white halls of the hospital, trying her best to ignore the chill that was threatening to seep into her skin, trying like pins and needles to reach her bones.

"Mikoto-chan," Hiruzen said softly, not turning around to address the woman walking behind him, "I take it you're already aware that I can't let you adopt Naruto."

"Yes sir," Mikoto sighed, "It's either both or neither, I understand that sir."

"...do you have any suggestions?" Hiruzen asked

"Naruto-kun needs to be with Sakura-chan," Mikoto answered, she new how close those two were and since the sudden chakra explosion the previous year, the two had only grown closer. To adopt one and not the other would do more damage then anything else; it wasn't acceptable to separate them, not when they were promised to become a family.

"I understand that the council won't let me adopt Sakura-chan now," Mikoto said softly, pausing in her walking to look out at the sunrise that was struggling to overcome the depressing night sky. "But Sakura needs to be protected and I will protect her. Bluntly or in the shadows I don't care but I will keep my promise—I will protect her."

"And I wouldn't expect anything less," Hiruzen said from his place just feet in front of her, "however, now that we know that someone is _targeting_ Sakura-chan, we'll have to put her in hiding."

"ah, but sir that means—"

"I know and she very may not go along with it," Hiruzen sighed, "please go shopping for me Mikoto-chan, I'll reimburse you for you troubles."

"There's no need sir," Mikoto sighed, "but do you think she'll understand? To change her hair and eye color... it's all she has left of them..."

"We must do all that we can to protect her," Hiruzen replied, "I'll get the death certificates ready."

"We're faking her death?" Mikoto asked wide eyed, "but what about her school? What are we going to tell them? What about the friends she has—"

"Don't be so worried Mikoto-chan," Hiruzen replied, "Sakura-chan and Naruto-kun were in the civilian shinobi academy. I'll have to move them both into the clan academy one..."

"Oh... they're both on opposite sides of the village..." Mikoto commented to herself softly, understanding filling her. "I'll have to move Sasuke too; he's gotten close to Naruto and Sakura over the past weeks..."

"That's right, I forgot you placed him in the civilian academy," Hiruzen let out a chuckle, "This should be an interesting development..."

"Sir," Mikoto called softly, moving to catch up with Hiruzen when he moved forward once again, "how am I supposed to tell him? Can I tell Sasuke too or... or am I..."

"Hmm... perhaps it'd be best to tell him of Sakura-chan's passing..." Hiruzen said thoughtfully. "We don't want _unpleasant_ individuals to think we might have been able to save her..."

"Right... I understand," Mikoto sighed, "Anything else?"

"Yes, your report on the incident, have you written it yet?" Hiruzen asked curiously

"No sir," Mikoto answered

"Hmm, you did find her covered in blood yes?"

"Yes sir," Mikoto answered with a slight frown, "What are you—oh!"

Hiruzen bobbed his head thoughtfully, "Sakura Haruno was found wounded in her father's arms, she was taken to the hospital by you and Itachi-kun... but didn't quite make it in time..."

"I understand sir," Mikoto bobbed her head, "however... since we'll be putting Sakura-chan into hiding... where is she going to reside?"

"I'll figure something out," Hiruzen sighed, "I'm thinking of several people..."

"Sir, who ever is going to take them in... they need to be an accomplished shinobi," Mikoto said worriedly, "Even though she's seven, almost eight, her parents haven't taken her training seriously. Now that she's being placed in protective services, she'll need special training."

"I understand," Hiruzen sighed, "That just cut the possibilities in half..." _there wasn't many to begin with... now I only have five, maybe six candidates..._

…

* * *

…

**Thoughts are helpful**

**Opinions are wonderful**

**Helpful criticism****is**** lovely! Just don't cripple me okay?**

**Please no cursing!**

**And don't forget to**** rate and**** review!**

**Page 8**


	14. Chapter 14

**Something New**

Chapter 14: of deaths and new lives

Koomahana

**Okay so my schedule has been changed, I'll only be able to update on wendsays from now on**

**I hope you like this chapter :)**

**Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine; you want the real stuff get off this site**

_Thoughts_

_Paragraphs are memories_

…

* * *

…

Recap

…

* * *

…

"Hmm... perhaps it'd be best to tell him of Sakura-chan's passing..." Hiruzen said thoughtfully. "We don't want _unpleasant_ individuals to think we might have been able to save her..."

"Right... I understand," Mikoto sighed, "Anything else?"

"Yes, your report on the incident, have you written it yet?" Hiruzen asked curiously

"No sir," Mikoto answered

"Hmm, you did find her covered in blood yes?"

"Yes sir," Mikoto answered with a slight frown, "What are you—oh!"

Hiruzen bobbed his head thoughtfully, "Sakura Haruno was found wounded in her father's arms, she was taken to the hospital by you and Itachi-kun... but didn't quite make it in time..."

"I understand sir," Mikoto bobbed her head, "however... since we'll be putting Sakura-chan into hiding... where is she going to reside?"

"I'll figure something out," Hiruzen sighed, "I'm thinking of several people..."

"Sir, who ever is going to take them in... they need to be an accomplished shinobi," Mikoto said worriedly, "Even though she's seven, almost eight, her parents haven't taken her training seriously. Now that she's being placed in protective services, she'll need special training."

"I understand," Hiruzen sighed, "That just cut the possibilities in half..." _there wasn't many to begin with... now I only have five, maybe six candidates..._

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End Recap

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The morning after the attack

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…

He glared heatedly at the report sitting in front of him, one brow twitching in the darkness of his office, his teeth grinding together so hard he could feel them threatening to crack in his jaw. He had assigned his men to kill the _parents_ and _capture_ their daughter, but no, they ended up _killing_ the entire damn _family!_ He wanted the girl because she had an S-class seal in the middle of her forehead with no explanation as to its existence. Not only that, but the huge chakra blast that happened the previous year was in sink to the infiltration attack on that hidden village that had taken the jinchūriki. Itachi's report said that the woman should've died _seven_ years ago but the three-tailed jinchūriki (Rin Nohara) had placed her into a giant seal that preserved her life despite the fact that her body was decaying anyways. The seal delayed the inevitable but that didn't mean that the 'woman' was going to stick around, she was do to die and based on Itachi's calculations the woman only had a few weeks left. The report Itachi and his teammate's gave the depiction that the woman had a diamond in the middle of her forehead and emerald green eyes—Sakura Haruno had emerald green eyes and a newly formed diamond on her forehead. Not only that but after Itachi and Tenzo returned from their missions of tracking Rin from Iwa, Hiruzen had called their presence into the hospital to look at Sakura Haruno and her seal. According to one of his men's reports on that, the Uchiha clan heir and the wood user both said that her appearance was frighteningly similar to the woman they had encountered while trying to retrieve the nine-tailed jinchūriki.

He had wanted Sakura Haruno because he believed that she had some kind of connection to that powerful woman who kidnapped and raised the jinchūriki. Not only that but Rin Nohara had been assumed to be dead since she was thirteen years old, only to be found at that hidden village kicking ass and taking names. That woman had raised and taught her, Rin hadn't even needed to use the Sanbi's power on any of the shinobi attacking her; she only brought it out once the Younbi jinchūriki started to lose control. Once that was under control she reverted back into her normal power, suppressing the Sanbi's chakra almost instantly. That kind of woman was strong enough to take out a dozen of his strongest men, freeze an entire Iwa Army in nothing flat and even stopped the Tsuchikage in his tracks.

If that kind of powerful woman had a connection to a little kunochi-to-be in his village, then he'd be a fool not to want that girl in his ranks. He wanted that girl with unknown and possibly limitless power to be completely and unfailing loyal to him and him alone—but his men screwed up. Now there was going to be a funeral service for the little pinkette because one of his men's sword went straight through Kizashi and stabbed Sakura. Not only that, but one of his men used a poison bomb on them too. Kizashi had been able to keep his chakra sealed over his wounds, preventing the poison from getting to far into his body but his only child wasn't nearly as lucky. Apparently, one of his men had placed a paralyzing genjutsu over the girl, forcefully putting her body in a wet noodle state with her chakra unable to move to protect her from the poison that was quick to fill her lungs and tint her wounds.

His men were good... but now they proved to be unable to complete the simple task of kidnapping a defenseless _child_

Her parents weren't even in the same league as them and yet they still managed to fail the mission!

_Damn it all!_ his teeth creaked under the pressure he forced on them, he slammed the file closed and regarded the completely still three man cell in front of him—the only ones who managed to return out of the dozen men he sent for the mission. The only thing he could see that was in his favor was that his men didn't leave any bodies behind for Hiruzen to examine.

That alone would've gotten him executed for treason

"You're excused," his voice was low and deep, promising the three survivors punishment on a kind of level that they've yet to see.

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…

He gritted his teeth as he listened to his little brother cry hysterically in his own room, refusing to go to anyone for the pain he was feeling. He just cried and cried and cried some more because that was all he could do, he didn't know what else he could do. He refused to admit just how close he really was to the pinkette who constantly bested him in his academic scoring, of the pinkette who was always standing between him and the horde of fan-girls, of the little girl who was always going to the hospital for one reason or another.

Sasuke simply refused to admit how close he really was to Sakura

He stiffened slightly from where he leaned against the wall beside Sasuke's bedroom door; his brother had stopped crying and was sluggishly moving towards the door. He moved off the wall and turned as if he was walking further down the hall towards his own room, just as he took a step forward Sasuke's door opened and his little brother was staring up at him with red-rimmed— somewhere behind Itachi, he heard his mother gasp and drop something that shattered against the hard wood floors.

"Nii-san" Sasuke whispered, rubbing one hand against his face, "My eyes hurt."

Itachi's face paled drastically at the sight of his little brother's tear stained Sharingan eyes—his mother let out a horrified shout, covering her face with trembling hands

Sasuke Uchiha had just awoken his Sharingan eyes (to the full state no less) at the tender age of seven years old

His little brother had just bested his own Sharingan awakening record

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The next day

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Hiruzen stood aside of the large mass dressed in black, four dozen of his shinobi and five dozen civilians all stood together for the funeral of the little family that seemed to touch everyone's lives. In fact, as he stood observing the huge mass of depressed black, he swore that at least half the village was attending the funeral, as more people were slowly making their way through the gates of the graveyard. Hiruzen stood aside, watching as one by one, civilian and shinobi alike stepped forward and placed white lilies, yellow camellias and red spider lilies before the three graves of the Haruno family. In the front of the line stood a good portion of the civilian academy students, each looking as depressed and sad as the little blond boy standing beside his favorite academy instructor, holding his hand like it was a lifeline. Sasuke stood on Naruto's other side, holding his hand just as tightly as the blond was holding Iruka's, refusing to let out tears despite the fact that his eyes were still rimmed in thick red lines from the crying he had done that morning.

It took time and lots of explaining on his part, but Hiruzen had gotten Naruto to understand the kind of situation Sakura was in. She understood as well, surprisingly accretive of what she'd have to do to stay hidden for her safety, almost as if she had expected the suggestion. She was more concerned about where she was going to stay and if she'd have to change her name, but she didn't mind anything she'd have to do to stay safe, just so long as she could keep her first name—she wasn't going to budge on that one. Naruto had offered to let her move in with him but he was instantly reminded that his apartment had room for only one person, both children had been depressed with the knowledge, their despair deepening when they realized that they could no longer become a 'real family'. Hiruzen had been forced to inform them that without Mebuki or Kizashi to care for them, the paperwork regarding Naruto's adoption into the Haruno family had been nullified. Their depression picked up a little when he informed them that Sakura would be moving in with one of his most respected Jonin and someone he trusted with his life. The man had already been informed and was currently preparing for Sakura's arrival at his childhood home, a place he wasn't looking forward to returning too but would do so anyways.

"Father," he looked up at the whisper soft voice, his son was standing before him with a frown on his face, his ever-present cigarette was actually gone... for once

"What is it Asuma?" Hiruzen asked blinking at his son as he moved to stand beside him, regarding the large growing but shrinking black mass just as detachedly as he was

"You never said anything about the fourth having a daughter," Asuma said calmly, forcing Hiruzen to take a better look at the mass of black standing before the three graves of the Haruno family.

"Ne~ she's not Minato-kun's daughter," Hiruzen replied, eyes locking in on Naruto and the little red haired girl standing beside him with a broken kind of expression, a tall white haired man standing just behind her. "She is a distant relative of Kushina's though... Kakashi-kun found her on his last mission and decided to bring her home with him."

"Uh-huh," Asuma sounded completely unconvinced, "and it's just a coincidence that said little red head has a frightening resemblance to the little girl who was killed with her parent's last week right? A complete coincidence..." they watched as Sasuke, Naruto and the little red haired girl slowly moved forward with little yellow camellias in hand, walking with wobbly legs towards the three graves.

"Of course it is," Hiruzen replied calmly, watching the three carefully place the flowers on the graves, both collapsing to their knees, folding their shaky hands together as if to pray; both tried very hard to ignore the burning and stinging in their eyes. After a few minutes Itachi and Fugaku moved forward, Itachi carefully lifted a quietly sobbing Sasuke into his arms and just as carefully left the other two quietly crying children. Slowly the mass of black moved forward and back word, some moving forward to place flowers on the tombs, some turning around and running away so they could cry in peace, others stood dumb struck in their places, eyes wide as they stared at the two tiny praying bodies. Hiruzen understood the sudden air of remembrance, of fear and of realization.

Little Naruto Uzumaki and little Sakura 'Uzumaki' looked like little miniature replications of Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki

Well, he hadn't meant to reveal Naruto's parents to anyone, as he thought that Kakashi would pick any color other then white or yellow to dye Sakura's hair, but it didn't look like anyone who made the connection would openly blab about it. Those who attended the service slowly faded away one by one, the students becoming crying messing in their parent's arms, the adults walking away with a new bolder on their shoulders and the elders walking away in misery. Within an hour the only ones who remained at the gave sight were Mikoto, Tsunade, Kakashi, Iruka and Hiruzen, everyone else had long since gone. Mikoto remained because of her promise to Kizashi and Mebuki, Tsunade remained because she not only knew the secret (She did take part in it after all) but she was also close to Sakura, Iruka remained for his worry for Naruto, Kakashi remained because of his new charge and Hiruzen remained because he still had something to promise the Haruno couple. Hiruzen took a deep breath and moved forward towards the children; the second he got within five feet Naruto and Sakura jumped to their feet and ran straight into him, both crying loudly.

"It'll be okay," Hiruzen promised the children, kneeling to place both into a tight hug, "I'll make sure of it."

"I miss them," Sakura hick-upped, "Wh-what am I-I g-going to-to do? Mama... a-always m-made the-the dreams st-stop..." Hiruzen sighed and tucked both children in close to him, as if he could protect them from the darkness that threatened their innocence. He wasn't a fool, he knew that the children would grow up and that as they did the darkness would only get closer to them, slowly staining their world into a deep shade of red and black with death and disappointments.

"We'll figure something out," Hiruzen promised her, "We'll protect you Sakura-chan, never forget that."

"My par-parents d-died!" Sakura wailed loudly, "T-trying t-to pro-prote-ect me-me~!" Hiruzen closed his eyes and sighed deeply; knowing that Iruka had just connected the dots and would, undoubtedly, remain silent—for Naruto's sake if nothing else. "I-I-I d-don't wa-want that!" Sakura cried, "I-I don't want anyone-one to-to di-die f-for me-e! N-never a-again!"

Hiruzen had no words for her, he had nothing to say to her desperate crying, wanting her parents back but not willing to admit it aloud. All he could do was hold her tightly and whisper into her ear that everything would be okay, that someday the pain she was feeling would dull, that it wouldn't necessarily go away but it would dull with time.

_I promise you both, Kizashi, Mebuki,_ Hiruzen thought with gritted teeth, his hold tightening fractionally on the two children, _I will protect them, no matter what, no matter the coast, I will protect them._

…

* * *

…

She stared dully at the simple looking house in front of her, standing to her left was her new guardian and to her right stood her new brother, both looking pale as if they could only see ghosts in the broken looking house in front of them. It was a simple looking house, with a wrap around porch that connected to all of the rooms, it looked like there might have been a garden once-a-upon-a-time in the back corner of the land but she wasn't sure.

"Well?" the tall gray haired man beside her asked, raising one hand to rub at the back of his head nervously, "What do you think?"

"It looks like a nature demon ate it and spat it back out," the blond replied in answer

"Naruto," Sakura replied courtly, not seeing the Jonin's depressed reaction at the news, "be nice."

"Oh come on Sakura-chan!" Naruto whined back, waving a hand exasperatedly towards the house, "Tell me it doesn't look like that!"

"It-it" Sakura puffed up her cheeks in defiance, determined to compliment the house that they would begin living in from that moment on

"_Lying is vary bad thing sweaty," her mother scolded, pressing an alcohol soaked rag to the cut on her arm, "it can only destroy not build, do you understand?"_

Sakura sighed, unable to defy her mother, even in death.

"Alright it looks pretty bad," Sakura admitted, ignoring how the Jonin beside her looked as if he wanted to burry himself under a big rock, "But we could... we could always fix it up." the Jonin perked up at that, tilting his head curiously at her, "It'll take time, lots of it, but I'm sure we can turn this-this... this house," She said finally, taking a deep breath to calm her breathing, "I'm sure... we can turn this house... into-into a-a-a home." Naruto sniffed and nodded, moving forward with lightning fast reflexes and wrapping his arms around Sakura's shoulder's, letting her cry on him as she started crying _again_; unable to keep herself from crying at the memory, the thought, of a new home.

_To be given something as bright as sunlight only to be taken away in a single moment,_ Kakashi sighed and patted both of their heads affectionately, knowing they were just as broken—or worse—as he was. _It must be an agonizing pain that never seems to end..._

"Come along children," Kakashi patted the children affectionately, gently pushing them onto the broken path to the house, "Let's get going..." shakily the children nodded and with wobbly legs and tear stained eyes, they all moved to take a step forward onto the broken path for their new home.

"Wait!" they turned at the shout, "Please wait a moment!" Sasuke was running as fast as he could, a dark box held close to his chest as he ran for everything he was worth towards them, "Wait up! Naruto!"

"Sasuke!" Naruto shouted stepping back to regard him, Sakura huddling close behind him as if shy of a new stranger, "What are you doing here?"

Sasuke slid to a stop in front of them, panting hard, "I-I'm here... to-to..." he paused to pant, one eye closed as the other rounded onto Sakura, "To say... d-don't go."

"Don't go?" Naruto repeated dumbly

"Yeah, don't go," Sasuke panted, looking back at Naruto, "Don't leave the village, don't leave us—stay! Stay here, stay with the village! Don't leave me behind!" The three of them were quiet a moment as Sasuke realized what he had said, his eyes wide and red rimmed, as if he had just gotten done crying just a moment ago.

"We're not leaving," Naruto said, his eyes filling with tears again, "We're not leaving the village."

Sakura peaked around Sasuke, eyes misty and worried, "We're only-only moving in... with a... with Hatake-san..."

"Y-You're not leaving?" Sasuke asked whipping his nose on his sleeve

"No," Naruto sniffed, fighting the urge to cry, "we-we're n-not l-leaving..."

"Oh-oh," Sasuke hick-upped, rubbing at his sore eyes with renewed vigor

"Ne~ since you're here Sasuke-san, why don't you join us for tea and lunch?" Kakashi asked, "We were just about to have some." Sasuke sniffed and looked down the broken path to the just as broken looking house at the end, his first reaction was to recoil and flinch at the poor state of the entire image, his second reaction was to take the older man's proposition seriously. He looked up at the tall white haired man standing with both children in front of him as if they were human shields, the red haired girl bobbed her head and smiled a little stiffly at him, Naruto just chuckled and rubbed viscously at his own face.

"Yeah! Come on Teme! It doesn't bit!" Naruto laughed, trying to smile through the tears threatening his eyes

"Naruto, language," Sakura reprimanded instantly, a tone of disapproval flowing through her words and marring her face.

"Right Sakura-chan!" Naruto replied without thinking, his eyes widened for a moment before he realized that her first name hadn't change. "Let's go!" Sakura giggled as Naruto wrapped one arm around her and Sasuke and dragged them both down the broken path to their broken looking home.

_I need to get Tenzo over here quickly_, Kakashi thought following the three kids with a soft expression, knowing that they would change his whole life around, _maybe everything can be fixed while they're all sleeping..._

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…

**Thoughts are helpful**

**Opinions are wonderful**

**Helpful criticism****is**** lovely! Just don't cripple me okay?**

**Please no cursing!**

**And don't forget to**** rate and**** review!**

**Page 9**


	15. Chapter 15

**Something New**

Chapter 15: baby steps are the first steps

Koomahana

**Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine; you want the real stuff get off this site**

_Thoughts_

_Paragraphs are memories_

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Recap

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"Y-You're not leaving?" Sasuke asked whipping his nose on his sleeve

"No," Naruto sniffed, fighting the urge to cry, "we-we're n-not l-leaving..."

"Oh-oh," Sasuke hick-upped, rubbing at his sore eyes with renewed vigor

"Ne~ since you're here Sasuke-san, why don't you join us for tea and lunch?" Kakashi asked, "We were just about to have some." Sasuke sniffed and looked down the broken path to the just as broken looking house at the end, his first reaction was to recoil and flinch at the poor state of the entire image, his second reaction was to take his proposition seriously. He looked up at the tall white haired man standing with both children in front of him as if they were human shields, the red haired girl bobbed her head and smiled a little stiffly at him, Naruto just chuckled and rubbed viscously at his own face.

"Yeah! Come on Teme! It doesn't bit!" Naruto laughed, trying to smile through the tears threatening his eyes

"Naruto, language," Sakura reprimanded instantly, a tone of disapproval flowing through her words and marring her face.

"Right Sakura-chan!" Naruto replied without thinking, his eyes widened for a moment before he realized that her first name hadn't change. "Let's go!" Sakura giggled as Naruto wrapped one arm around her and Sasuke and dragged them both down the broken path to their broken looking home.

_I need to get Tenzo over here quickly_, Kakashi thought following the three kids with a soft expression, knowing that they would change his whole life around, _maybe everything can be fixed while they're all sleeping..._

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End Recap

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Sakura took a deep breath and stretched, freezing instantly at the feel of two bodies on either side of her. Stifling a yawn, Sakura pulled herself out slightly from the two bodies and struggled to push herself up to get a better look at the two sleeping on either side of her. To her left was Sasuke, curled up like a bug against her side, his fists were wrapped around her sleeping Yukata like she was his shield in the darkness his dream had conjured. To her right laid Naruto, sprawled out like a skinned cat and yet still managing to keep his left hand wrapped around her wrist as if to make sure that she wouldn't get too far from him.

_Boys_, Sakura let out a little giggle, she gently moved and freed her right wrist of Naruto's tight clasp carefully, then she just as carefully removed Sasuke's hands from her as well. Moving slowly, Sakura crab walked out of the bed, then carefully twisted and turned to sit on her knees at the head of the bed. She then carefully re-tucked in the boys and rose to her feet; she quietly made her way across the room to the slightly ajar door and just as quietly left the room. Moving quietly, Sakura carefully picked her way down the hall to the kitchen she had seen when they entered the house the previous afternoon. Pausing at the junction between the wall-less living room and kitchen and the corner of the bathroom, Sakura took a long look around herself curiously. At the kitchen island sat a tall, tiered looking brown haired man with strangely wide black eyes but a plane looking face, at the stove a few paces to the left of the island stood the familiar looking white haired man.

"That smells good," Sakura smiled as both men visibly flinched at the sound of her voice, the brunet very nearly fell to the floor and her new guardian was in the middle of flipping something.

_Whatever that was it's stuck to the roof now,_ Sakura thought, staring at the strange white-yellow thing stuck to the ceiling.

"S-Sakura-chan," Kakashi stuttered, turning around to stare at her wide eyed, "Whe-when did you—"

"What is that?" Sakura asked, eyes clued to the ceiling over the stove, blinking curiously at it._ I wonder if that's ever going to come down..._

"That?" Kakashi looked up at it, "it's a... it was your breakfast..."

"Oh, okay," Sakura took a few steps forward, pausing briefly to smile at the stranger sitting at the island, "My name is Sakura, who are you?"

"Uh..." the brown haired man looked pensively over at Kakashi, as if silently asking for help from the older man.

"He can't tell you his real name Sakura-chan but he can tell you his Anbu-code name," Kakashi replied

"He's Anbu?" Sakura asked curiously, "Then where's his mask? Shouldn't he be wearing one?"

"Eh~ he's off duty," Kakashi said, his eye creasing as if he was smiling at her

"Oh~" Sakura bobbed her head and moved forward a couple more steps, tilting her head up at the brunet curiously, "Is he your brother?" Sakura asked turning to look at Kakashi, "Dose that make him my uncle?"

"I suppose," Kakashi relented, looking over at his brown haired friend in an almost curious manner, "I suppose that's one way to look at Tenzo."

"Ten-zo," Sakura pounced slowly, looking towards the brunet curiously, "Tenzo?" he nodded, she smiled "Tenzo-nii!" the cup in his hand slipped from his fingers and fell to the tabletop, the contents spilling over his plate of half eaten food. Kakashi chuckled at the alarmed look on Sakura's face. Then they heard the clatter from the room she had slept in and then identical startled shouts, which of course elected giggles out of Sakura.

"Sakura!" Two panicked voices shouted together, followed by bodies slipping and colliding and a door slamming open and then of course two hurried feet running down the hall and sliding to a stop just around the corner of the bathroom, Naruto actually slipped and continued sliding the few feet into the living room.

"Naruto, Sasuke," Sakura giggled, "What are you two doing—"

"Sakura-chan!" both boys managed to barrel into her at the same time, "You scared me!"

"C-can't b-breath!" Sakura gasped in their tight hold, her face starting to turn pink from lack of oxygen

"Careful boys," Kakashi said, turning back to this stove top of... whatever it was supposed to be, "if she passes out you both will be taking care of her, got that?" they both jumped away from her as if she just shocked them, leaving Tenzo to steady her before she fell to the floor.

"Knock-knock," everyone turned to the feminine voice at the front entranceway, "Anyone home?"

"Tsunade-Hime!" Sakura laughed, straightening and barreling straight into Tsunade, who chuckled and caught the cheerful red head easily

"Easy there Sakura-chan," Tsunade tisked, lifting her into her arms effortlessly, "You're still not all that recovered ya-know."

"I know Tsunade-Hime," Sakura smiled, as the blonde moved to close the door and enter the old style home "Why're you here? Is there something wrong?"

"Oh I just came by to check in on my favorite little miracle worker," Tsunade retorted, sliding into a seat beside Tenzo like she was made from water. "Hmm? Oh my, Sasuke-san, Naruto-kun, you both are here as well?"

"Yup!" Naruto grinned cheekily at her, "Sasuke-Teme stayed the night."

"Naruto language!" Sakura and Tsunade said at the same time, Sasuke snickered at Naruto's misfortune

"I-I better go," Sasuke said suddenly, blushing when he found Tsunade staring at him in an almost curious manner, "Mama... she-she might be worried..."

"Eh~ Sasuke-kun I talked to your mother last night," Kakashi said turning slightly from his place at the stove, "She knows you're here."

"Really?" he asked blinking at Kakashi, who hummed and nodded at him "Then... I'll—I'll just get dressed..."

Tsunade waited until she heard the door click shut for the bedroom before she turned back to Sakura, who was sitting in her lap, with a glint in her amber eyes. "Alright missy, lift your bangs. I wanna see your seal again."

"Okay," Sakura lifted her bangs, pulling them back as best as she could with her little fingers, "How's this?"

"Perfect," Tsunade smiled, she summoned chakra to her fingertips and brushed it over the deep violet diamond sitting perfectly centered in her forehead. "How've you been feeling? Any soreness?"

"Nuh-uh," Sakura answered, giggling when her chakra seemed to ghost over a ticklish spot on her head, something only Tsunade's warm chakra could do.

"Headaches? Nausea?"

"No Ma'am," Sakura giggled again, trying to situate herself so that Tsunade's fingers wouldn't be so close to her ticklish sides.

"And your dreams?" Tsunade asked softly, like she was afraid of the answer, "have you had any since... uh..."

"Since mommy and daddy?" Sakura asked just as softly, her eyes distant and sad, her voice dripping with a kind of sorrow that only a child seemed to be able to convey. "No... Not really..." Tsunade pulled back from Sakura for a moment, brushing her bright crimson hair aside gently, showing a little of her forehead and the half-hidden seal they were trying to figure out how to hide.

"Sakura-chan," Tsunade started slowly, "I know you don't want to talk about it..." Sakura looked down at her lap her fingers playing with the little lose threads of Tsunade's belt that kept her shirt closed and her bust hidden. "Sakura-chan... I need to know what happened that night..." Sakura glanced up at Tsunade through her bangs, she could barely see the woman's chin. Sighing softly, Tsunade gently placed two of her fingers under Sakura's chin and lifted her face to look into her swimming emerald orbs, she tried to smile reassuringly but she doubted the red haired girl was fooled. "Sakura-chan, I need to know what happened that night... starting with your dream..."

"Alright," Sakura sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly, "but dose it have to be—"

"Sakura-chan?" Sakura gasped and twisted around in Tsunade's lap, green eyes wide as she stared at the very confused looking black haired boy standing by the corner of the hall to their rooms. Naruto had snapped around too, his own eyes wide and his face paling; the brunet man and Kakashi both stilled themselves, the brunet with his chopsticks halfway to his mouth and Kakashi in the middle of placing another plate down in front of Tsunade.

"What are you..." Sasuke's voice trailed off as his eyes locked in on the large purple diamond in the middle of Sakura's forehead. His face twisted into confusion then anger and then, before anyone could stop him, Sasuke's chakra flared and his eyes burst into bright crimson. It took everything the Anbu and Kakashi had not to move from their spots at the feel of chakra suddenly bursting around them, even so, not even they could've responded in time to Tsunade's protective reaction. In a flash, Tsunade was on her feet, glare in place, with Sakura held behind her protectively. Tsunade's own chakra roared into life, filling the house with its suffocating presence, bearing down on the two boys before her and forcing them to their knees, threatening to smother them both. Still, despite all the pressure bearing down on his body, Sasuke's wide crimson gaze was still locked onto Sakura as if she was some kind of lifeline for him.

"Y-You..." Sasuke stuttered out, seemingly ignoring or at least not recognizing Tsunade's semi-silent threat, "S-Sakura-chan... you're... you're alive?!" he could see clearly, despite the strain on his body, he could see even clearer with his Sharingan eyes. He could see every hair on Sakura's head, every hair of her eyebrows and the slight brush of her too-dark eyelashes but most importantly, what he could see clearest of all was the tinted skin of Sakura's scalp the kind of tint that screamed hair dye.

"Bu-but... Kaa-chan a-and A-Aniki... they-they said... they said yo-you _died_!" He could feel his eyes brim with tears, he could feel how his chakra submitted to the force of Tsunade's will, he could feel how cold the room suddenly got and how it was... it was suddenly very dark...

Tsunade sighed, reeling in her chakra back into its constant suppressed state; watching how Sasuke passed out, landing face first into the hard wood floor. Naruto was beside him on all fours, panting long and hard, as if trying too feed his starving lungs more air then they needed.

"Tsunade-Hime," Sakura whispered from her place behind Tsunade, hands gripping the older woman's jacket in a white-knuckle grip, "Is he... is he... g-going to be-be okay?"

"He just past out Sakura-chan," Kakashi reassured, trying to distract Sakura as he pushed his previous plate just that little bit closer to her, "Why don't you have some breakfast while I put Sasuke back in bed?" Sakura stared dumbly down at her plate, she wasn't sure what Kakashi had intended for it too look like but it looked like a charcoal patty with a whipped cream face on it.

"...Kakashi, she is not eating that," Tsunade said seriously, staring down at the burnt something with a twitching eyebrow.

"What is it?" Sakura asked taking fork and poking, only to recoil back with a horrified look when the charcoal patty shifted and wiggled like Jell-O, "_Eww_! It moves!" Sakura flung her hands out to Tsunade in fear, the blond replied in kind by lifting said red head away from the jiggling patty of coal.

"Kakashi Hatake, I don't know what you did," Tsunade said as she backed away from the little island as if it was a bomb ready to go off, "but we'd better take that to the biochemical unit and see if we can't use against our enemies."

"Tsunade-Hime..." Kakashi whined from where he was slumped depressed against the wall, "That's so cold..."

"Now Tsunade-Hime," Tenzo said turning to look seriously at the older blond, "If I recall, biochemical war-far is still illegal."

"Not you too," Kakashi looked as if he wanted to crawl under a rock and die quietly. Sakura blinked several times at Tenzo, then looked curiously at Kakashi, then up at Tsunade and repeated the process for a second time. Finally, Sakura shifted and looked curiously into Tsunade's eyes, tilting her head to the side to convey her confusion.

"What's bi-o-chem-icle war-far?"

Tsunade pointed at the plate of wiggly charcoal

…

* * *

…

He was standing in the familiar classroom of his academy that his mother had insisted that he attend, the room was large and surprisingly empty. The sun was casting a strange glow to the room, as if it was setting or rising, turning everything a fiery orange and blinding yellow. He stood alone in the empty and silent room, yet he could swear that he could hear the sound of giggling and laughter. He turned slowly to look behind him but it was just the black board with the bright white chalk on its surface; the same formula that Sakura had once written out to explain a problem to Naruto and him, moving and adjusting it to fit their understanding. He blinked and looked at the nearest door, catching sight of a bright crimson skirt and short pink hair twisting around the edge of the door and out of view.

"_Wait!_" he shouted, bursting into a hurried run to the bottom of the stairs and then to the half open door. He slammed it further open and looked both ways, searching for that bright pink and crimson that signified one of his best friends. "_Wait!_" he took off for the crimson skirt he saw to his left, rounding the corner into the hall that led to outside, "_Sakura wait!_" he skidded against the hard wood floor and nearly fell but he straightened and ran straight for that flare of pink and red, slamming open the doors of his academy to give chase to his friend.

"_Sakura!_" outside was nearly pitch black, the sun was setting fast—too fast to be normal, "_Sakura!_" his eyes scanned the courtyard, the shadows were stretching out faster and faster towards him, blanketing the courtyard until all that surrounded him was a kind darkness that nightmares were made of.

"_Sakura! Sakura where are you?!_" spun in place in that thick, endless darkness, eyes scanning and searching for anything pink or red, "_Sakura?!_" he screamed loudly, his voice cracking and echoing around him like the sound of shattering glass. "_Sakura! Sakura, where are you?!_" his voice echoed around him mockingly, as if reminding him that he couldn't find her that suffocating darkness, "_Sakura! Answer me! Where are you?! Sakura!_"

Suddenly there was a sound and he turned to face, his eyes widening as another body was suddenly rushing past him, short pink hair brushing against his cheek like feathers and a giggle that sounded like wind chimes rang in his ears. He spun around on the balls of his feet, determined not to fall despite her close proximity when she suddenly appeared and ran past him. He stumbled but was quick to follow the familiar rushing pinkette, he knew that Sakura was fast but he also knew that he was faster, subconsciously he knew that Sakura had always been holding back in their races, refusing to use chakra like she normally would.

"_Sakura!_" he shouted as he ran, one hand out stretched for the familiar pinkette just barely of his reach, "_Wait up! Don't leave me behind!_" She kept running, as if she couldn't hear him; so he kept running after her, determined to catch her and not let her get away from him again.

"_Mommy! Daddy!_" he jerked at the giggle emitting from the pinkette running in front of him. Ahead of the pinkette was a bright white glow that seemed to pierce the darkness like it was nothing, to familiar figures standing inside it, "_Wait up! I'm coming too!_"

"_NO!_" his voice echoed around them like a broken sounding record, with a sudden burst of speed and caught up to his friend, his hand wrapping around her wrist and jerking her back just before she could move into that bright white light. "_Don't go! Don't go! don't leave me!_" he begged repeatedly, pulling the girl back so she'd stumble and then slam into his chest, giving him enough time to wrap his arms around her tightly, not giving her enough time or room to escape him.

"_Don't go, don't go,_" he begged her, tears dripping out of his eyes and rolling down his cheeks, "_Don't go, don't go._"

"_I'm here_," she whispered to him, her arms wrapping around him just as tightly, "_I'm right here Sasuke, I'm not going anywhere._"

"_Please don't_," he whispered back, "_Please don't leave me, please don't leave me._" He was still whispering when he awoke, blurry red eyes clueing themselves automatically to the crimson haired, green eyed girl laying beside him with tear eyes herself.

"Please don't leave me," Sasuke whispered, sniffing as he hunched himself closer to Sakura, "Please don't leave... don't go..."

"Shhh, Sasuke, it'll be okay," Sakura whispered back gently pushing back his bangs before rubbing at her own eyes, "I'm right here, I'm not going anywhere." He nodded and rubbed at his sore eyes, tucking himself closer to his friend, even as she rubbed one hand against her forehead to show him her diamond seal, proof of her identity.

"I'm so sorry we lied to you Sasuke-kun," Sakura whispered to him, letting his fingers brush over her seal gently, "but it had to be done. Someone was targeting me Sasuke, Hokage-sama said that I had to change my appearance and name so that someone wouldn't be able to find me again."

"What dose that mean?" Sasuke asked curiously, whipping at his eyes again

"It means that Sakura Haruno is dead," Sakura whispered, startling Sasuke, "it means that Sakura Uzumaki, Naruto's distant cousin, is taking her place."

"Wh-what?" Sasuke blinked in confusion, not sure if he was understanding the red head in front of him

"Sasuke listen closely," Sakura sighed, "Sakura Haruno and Sakura Uzumaki are the same person but no one can know of their relation, dose that make sense?"

"Kind of..." Sasuke sniffed, "Then... what about Naruto? Dose he know?"

"Everyone I'm living with knows," Sakura answered, "Kakashi-san, Tsunade-Hime, Naruto-kun, your mom and I think Itachi-san knows too..."

"Mama and Aniki?" Sasuke questioned, "bu-but they said—"

"Sasuke," her voice stilled him, his eyes widening as he locked eyes with Sakura, "My existence is an S-class secret. The only ones who know are the ones who saved me, your mom and brother, the Hokage for obvious reasons, Tsunade-Hime because she created the fake body, Naruto because he got adopted by my parents just hours before it happened, Kakashi-san because he's tasked with taking care of us and Iruka-sensei because... because I kind of... blabbed... at the-the funeral..." Sakura sighed and closed her eyes, "I kind of broke when I saw Hokage-sama's face... for a moment there... he looked like daddy some times did..."

…

* * *

…

**Thoughts are helpful**

**Opinions are wonderful**

**Helpful criticism****is**** lovely! Just don't cripple me okay?**

**Please no cursing!**

**And don't forget to**** rate and**** review!**

**Page 9**


	16. Chapter 16

**Something New**

Chapter 16: a second chance

Koomahana

**Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine; you want the real stuff get off this site**

_Thoughts_

_Paragraphs are memories_

…

* * *

…

Recap

…

* * *

…

"What dose that mean?" Sasuke asked curiously, whipping at his eyes again

"It means that Sakura Haruno is dead," Sakura whispered, startling Sasuke, "it means that Sakura Uzumaki, Naruto's distant cousin, is taking her place."

"Wh-what?" Sasuke blinked in confusion, not sure if he was understanding the red head in front of him

"Sasuke listen closely," Sakura sighed, "Sakura Haruno and Sakura Uzumaki are the same person but no one can know of their relation, dose that make sense?"

"Kind of..." Sasuke sniffed, "Then... what about Naruto? Dose he know?"

"Everyone I'm living with knows," Sakura answered, "Kakashi-san, Tsunade-Hime, Naruto-kun, your mom and I think Itachi-san knows too..."

"Mom and Aniki?" Sasuke questioned, "bu-but they said—"

"Sasuke," her voice stilled him, his eyes widening as he locked eyes with Sakura, "My existence is an S-class secret. The only ones who know are the ones who saved me, your mom and possibly your brother, the Hokage for obvious reasons, Tsunade-Hime because she created the fake body, Naruto because he got adopted by my parents just hours before _it_ happened, Kakashi-san because he's tasked with taking care of us and Iruka-sensei because... because I kind of... blabbed... at the-the funeral..." Sakura sighed and closed her eyes, "I kind of broke... when I saw Hokage-sama's face... for a moment there... he looked like daddy some times did..."

…

* * *

…

End Recap

…

* * *

…

"How're the kids doing?" Tenzo asked as he reached for his mask and slipped it over his head as Tsunade walked out of the hall to the rooms, Kakashi was still at the stove attempting to improve his cooking skills

"Sakura just updated Sasuke," Tsunade answered, crossing her arms and regarding the two teens evenly, "Just out of curiosity how old are you both?"

"I'm twenty-one," Kakashi answered without thinking

"I'm seventeen," Tenzo answered, tilting his head to the side curiously, "Why?"

Tsunade didn't look happy, "so what you're telling me is... is that my teacher, the esteemed Hokage, put a couple of brats under the protection..." her anger suddenly exploded and the house nearly shook with the volume of her voice "...of a couple of _brats?!_"

"hay I'm twenty-one!" Kakashi replied in irritation, "I'm old enough to take care of them!"

"You can't even cook!" Tsunade accused, pointing a finger at him, "And you don't know the fist thing about kids! And you!" Tenzo flinched as Tsunade's finger rounded onto him, "You're seventeen and from Anbu! You certainly don't know anything about kids!"

"Oh and you do?" Tenzo shot back in exasperation, "Do you even know where Naruto is?"

"Do you?!" Tsunade asked heatedly, not even fazed by the question, "And what about Sakura and Sasuke? You think they're still in their room sleeping?!"

_I did,_ Kakashi thought with a sigh, _should've known better though..._ Kakashi moved to the open kitchen window and stuck his nose out to try to catch the kid's scents. As far as he could tell Sakura opened the door to the garden where Naruto had been sent exploring, perhaps he had joined his friends in their shared room?

"Excuse me," everyone jumped at the soft voice, turning they all looked at a confused looking Mikoto standing in the open front door, "I'm looking for Sasuke Uchiha. I was told he was going to spend the night here with his friends, is he ready to come home?"

_Sheet_, Kakashi thought, disappearing quickly before Tenzo or Tsunade could round on him in question for the three kids. _Please still be in bed, please still be in bed,_ Kakashi begged silently, moving through his childhood house carefully, not wanting the Sanin or Anbu agent to catch on to his movements just yet. Kakashi paused beside the door to the children's shared room; he opened the door and sighed in relief at the sight of the three children curled together in the same bed. It was nearly noon and the temperature had risen drastically since they finished the working on the house for the kids, yet the three children didn't even seem to recognize the high temperature as they only huddled closer together beneath their blankets.

"Hay Sakura-chan," Sasuke's soft voice whispered in the near silence of the room

"Yeah?" she whispered back

"A-about what you told me..." Sasuke hesitated for a moment, "I-I promise I won't say anything... I won't bring it up ever again—I promise."

"I'm not worried about it," Sakura reassured, "I am worried about school though..."

"You would," Sasuke chuckled softly

"I'm serious Sasuke," Sakura pouted at him, shifting slightly to get a better look at the dark hared boy, "Mommy and Daddy expect A's and B's, but I'm worried that I might have to act like Naruto because I'm supposed to be related to him. Dose that mean I'm supposed to skip my classes and play as many pranks as possible?"

"That's not nice Sakura-chan," Naruto whined from where he laid beside her, "I go to class, the teachers just don't make sense and I get bored easily."

"You'll be going to class a lot more often if I have anything to say about it," Sakura growled at him but sighed her next sentence anyways, her anger forgotten. "I don't want _that_ person finding me but I don't want to disappoint my parents... I-I just... I just don't know what to do..."

"Ne~ you don't have to worry about Sakura-chan," Kakashi said from his place beside the open door, the three children gasped and slammed into a sitting position, their eyes wide in shock. "You can get your A's back you just have to be careful of what classes you exceed in, that's all."

"Really?" Sakura asked curiously, "Dose that mean I still have to flunk PE?"

"Afraid so," Kakashi answered, "it doesn't really matter anyways because I'll be teaching you the Taijutsu basics. In other words what you fail at in school you'll excel in here got it?"

"Yes sir," Sakura bobbed her head curtly, _I better just keep failing in PE then..._

"What about me?" Naruto asked, tilting his head to the side curiously, "What're you going to be teaching me?"

"Hell if you don't get your grades up," Kakashi retorted with a dangerous tone of voice, making Naruto go pale and Sasuke to snicker. "Anyways, Sasuke-san, your mother is here to pick you up. You ready to go?"

"Do I have too?" Sasuke asked with a pout, "I-I don't want to go just yet..."

"I'm afraid that's not up to me Sasuke-san," Kakashi replied, "come on, let's get you three dressed."

"Alright," the three kids chimed and rose to their feet together. Naruto stood in his lose black shorts and too big white T-shirt that threatened to hang from his shoulder, Sakura stood in her little neat faint pink yukata and Sasuke in his own navy T-shirt and black shorts. Kakashi chuckled and shook his head at the strange picture the three made standing together like that, Naruto looked like the orphan he was, Sakura looked like a sleepy Hime-to-be and Sasuke actually looked like he might be long to a semi-normal family. Seemingly not caring that Kakashi was there with them, the three kids stripped themselves of their clothes and quickly dug through their respective bags for new, clean clothes. Kakashi made an actually effort to separate the boys from Sakura, keeping his own eyes clued to the floor or wall with them and his back to Sakura.

"Kakashi-san I'm stuck," Sakura whined behind him, making said man freeze and pale, "Can you help me?" Kakashi was doing fine helping the boys but the instant Sakura spoke up, his whole body froze and his fingers were suddenly stumbling with the ties on Sasuke's shirt. Kakashi's mouth opened and closed repeatedly for a moment, completely terrified to turn and help only to have one of the women outside walk in, misunderstand and then proceed to kick his rear around his own house.

"I'll help you Sakura-chan," Naruto said with a mischievous smirk, "I think Kaka is _scared_~"

"Naruto Uzumaki," Kakashi growled lowly, grabbing the boy by the back of his shirt and dragging him in front of him, "One: my name is _Kakashi_, what you just said can easily be misinterpreted and cause all kinds of trouble for the both of us, _understand?_" by this point Kakashi had effectively made himself look scary enough to make Naruto look like he just saw a ghost

"Uh-huh," Naruto stuttered out, trying to back away as Kakashi's glare seemed to intensify on him

"Good, Two: a boy must never go near a girl who is in the middle of dressing, is that understood?"

"Uh... no?" Naruto tried, knowing that lying wasn't an option at the moment

"It is considered inappropriate for a boy to look at an unclothed girl, is _that_ understood?" Kakashi tried again

"Thank you Sasuke-kun," Sakura said behind him, stilling Kakashi and making him turn around to glare at the young Uchiha in question. "That helped a lot," Sakura smiled at him

"No problem," Sasuke replied to Sakura before turning back to Kakashi with a blank look, "Kakashi-san... I'm sure that when we're old enough to understand what you're trying to teach, we still won't care."

Sasuke let out a yelp when Kakashi thumped him on the head

…

* * *

…

"Hmm? Oh! Sasuke-kun, good you're awake and dressed," Mikoto smiled at her son as he and the other two children walked out behind Kakashi into the main section of the house, "I'm glade to see you ready so soon, we're going to be late at this rate."

"Late?" Sasuke asked curiously as he moved to take his mother's hand and head for the front door, "What are we going to be late for?"

"Oh that's right, you didn't come home so I didn't get to tell you," Mikoto smiled at him as she slipped her shoes on. "Today you'll be starting your first day of school—"

"Huh?" Sasuke blinked dumbly at her

"—At the shinobi clan academy," Mikoto continued, "I've decided to get you transferred over to it since Naruto and Sa—I mean since Naruto is going to be there."

"Mikoto-san he knows," Kakashi said moving closer to her with two boxed lunches in hand,

"What do you mean—" Mikoto frowned at him

"And could you possibly take Naruto and Sakura with you?" Kakashi asked, purposefully interrupting the clan matriarch "It's their first day as well..."

"Really?" Sakura and Naruto asked at the same time, looking up at Kakashi in confusion

"Yeah, didn't I tell you?" Kakashi asked, pushing the box lunch into Sakura's hands

"No," they both replied courtly

"Heh, opps... anyway, off you two go!" Kakashi chuckled, gently pushing them towards Mikoto. "Have fun, I'll be sure to pick you both up after school is out, okay?"

"Okay," the two Uzumaki's sighed, slipping on their shoes and taking hold of the bags that Tenzo handed to them, only to look at them and then switch quickly before pulling them on. Sakura stood in her little red and white yukata, Naruto in Kakashi's old black yukata and Sasuke in his own clan yukata; all three were too tiered and hot to wear normal clothes for a first day of school that they didn't even know they'd be having that day. Besides, their Yukata's were designed to withstand the heat and keep them cool at the same time.

"Are you three ready for your first day?" Mikoto asked, standing beside the open door to the house

"We're ready," the three answered as cheerfully as they could, pausing on the porch to look at the path in front of them in startled amazement. "Whoa," the three gasped together, their eyes wide and shinning

"It's fixed!" Sasuke gasped wide-eyed

"But how?! It was all broken up yesterday!" Naruto questioned, poking the tip of his sandal against the now smooth white marble path in front of them, "it's even stable!"

"Ne~ its fate!" Sakura giggled suddenly, clapping her hands excitedly

"Fate?" the boys repeated dumbly

"Uh-huh," Sakura bobbed her head, "Yesterday it was broken—everything was broken and falling apart, just like how we each met. We were broken in some way and to different degrees but look it!" She waved a hand out at the perfect path in front of them, "our path has been fixed! It's like... it's as if Kami-sama is saying we're on the start of a new path! We found each other on a broken path but when we stand together the path became fixed!"

"Oh! I get it!" Naruto laughed, wrapping both arms around his best friends, "the path to the house resembled each us of to a certain amount and now that it's fixed it's a sign of our future!"

"Uh-huh!" Sakura giggled

"Okay but what about the house and yard?" Sasuke asked, "If I had to pick someone to represent each of us... I would be the broken path, Sakura you would be the house and Naruto would be the yard." Curiously, the two Uzumaki's looked around themselves, taking in everything that surrounded them

"Hay! I'm still broken!" Naruto shouted suddenly, "Why do I have to be the crazy looking yard?!"

"You're not broken Naruto, just wild," Sakura huffed, "If I'm the house then I'm defiantly broken." Sakura glared up at the whole directly overhead, "I didn't know I was broken so much, I thought I was doing just fine."

"Wild?" Naruto questioned, looking around the yard again curiously

"Maybe Naruto should be the path," Sasuke replied suddenly, eyeing a wild patch of roses near by

"No! It's too late!" Naruto shouted, pointing at Sasuke with a wide smile, "I'm the wildest one out of all of us!"

"And Sasuke is the most level headed," Sakura smiled serenely, before frowning at her dark hared friend "Do you really think I'm so broken?"

"You're not broken Sakura-chan," Mikoto giggled, "Do you not remember what the inside of the house looks like?" Sakura nodded, signaling that she did, "good. What he means is that you look broken but you're not, get it? From the outside, the house doesn't look very good or even friendly but on the inside the house looks like a home, understand?"

"I think so," Sakura said, taking Mikoto's hand and walking down the steps of the porch carefully, "Physically I don't look like much but... but my heart," she looked up at Mikoto as if to confirm this thought, the older black haired woman nodded with a smile, "but my heart... My heart is like a home, it welcomes everyone."

"That's right," Mikoto giggled

"What about me?" Naruto asked bouncing up to take Sakura's other hand with a bright smile, "If I'm like the yard then what dose it say about me?"

"Hmm? the yard?" Mikoto paused beside the gate, letting the three children go before her so she could examine the yard carefully, "Well... I suppose you're kind of like the wild grass, a good haircut and you'll look just fine." Naruto whined wrapped his hand around his head protectively, "You're also kind of like the trees, strong and enduring... however if I had to pick a single thing in the yard that would represent you Naruto-kun... I'd say you're more like the wind."

"The wind?" Naruto asked

"Huh," Mikoto paused just outside the fence and gestured to the berserk yard of the old house, showing how the wind seemed endless in the wild grass of the Hatake estate. "Look it Naruto, do you see how the wind moves? It seems constant in this place, forever dancing somewhere on it. Whether it's high in the tree's branches or low for the seeds of the flowers or here at head level, playing with our hair; do you feel it? Can you see it now?"

"Uh-huh," Naruto giggled as a strong gust rushed past him, pushing Sakura's longer strands to tickle his face, "I'm like the wind! I don't get it right now," Naruto gave Mikoto a blinding smile, "but I'm sure I will when I'm older!"

"Good, I'm glade," Mikoto giggled

"Mom," Sasuke called, taking up his mother's free hand with a slight pout on his face, "Am I really like the path, like Sakura-chan said?"

"Hmm... I suppose," Mikoto said thoughtfully, gently pulling the three children down the street with her, "But honestly Sasuke-kun, I think you're more like the fireplace or maybe the stove. You're like a smokeless fire Sasuke-kun, pretty too look at but too dangerous to touch."

"I think I get it," Sasuke said, his face twisting up thoughtfully, "So then... like all fires the people around me will have to find that perfect place beside the fire. Too close and they'll burn, too far and they'll freeze—just like a real fire... right?"

"That's right," Mikoto giggled, smiling brightly at her blushing son

…

"I fix the path and inside of your house and suddenly I'm Kami," Tenzo chuckled, watching Mikoto walk away with the three children giggling cheerfully around her

"Ah that's right, thank you for all the work you've done for me," Kakashi eye-smiled at Tenzo, "Now could you possibly fix the outside? I don't want the kids to get hurt"

Tenzo looked exasperatedly at Kakashi, "Are you going to help?"

"Nope," Kakashi said cheekily, "I have to work on my cooking."

"So now you're a house wife are you?" Tsunade growled, startling the two men, "What? Did you forget that I was here?"

_Honestly? Yes_, Kakashi thought, turning to look a little hesitantly at the older blonde, "Can we help you?"

"Just what did you give Sakura?" Tsunade asked, trying to stay calm and failing slightly, "It had better not have been more of your biochemical war-fare."

"It-it wasn't" Kakashi gulped, "P-promise." _I'm doomed..._ Tsunade snarled at them and just as they were sure she was going to punch the both of them out of the house, Tsunade ran past them and out of the Hatake land, moving like a blur after Mikoto and the children. Sighing in relief at just how lucky they both were, the two grown men slowly slid down the wall in relief, breathing hard and not quite believing they're luck. Slowly Tenzo turned to look at his friend and superior, eyes slightly wide.

"Kakashi-sempai..." Tenzo panted with a horrified expression

"Yeah?" Kakashi asked turning to look at Tenzo a little curiously but mostly scared and relieved

"You need to take cooking classes," Tenzo said seriously, "I don't think I can survive another one of her glares"

"Well you better get used to them," Kakashi grumbled rubbing a hand against his face, "The last time I took a cooking class I... I kind of..." Kakashi mumbled something softly under his breath

"What?" Tenzo asked, "I didn't hear that," Kakashi glared at him and grumbled again. "I can't here you sempai, speak—"

"I said I blew up their kitchen!" Kakashi snapped finally, groaning and rubbing both hands over his face, "Now no culinary schools will teach me because of it. It's like they all share a network and talk to each other..."

"Kakashi-sempai," Tenzo said with laughter in his voice, "they do. I suggest you get one of the kunochi's you know to teach you—and not Tsunade because she's bound to kill you."

And that is how Kakashi spent his day—running from every kunochi in the village

…

* * *

…

"Wait!" Mikoto and the children looked back at the blonde rushing towards, "Wait a moment Mikoto-san!"

"Tsunade-Hime," Mikoto frowned when the blonde skidded to a halt in front of them, pausing just out side of the shinobi academy, "what ever is the matter?"

"Kakashi's cooking," Tsunade growled lowly, glaring off to the side. "Anyways, I got this for you three," Tsunade coughed and then held out three small bintos still wrapped in the grocery store plastic, "I don't want you to get sick."

"Thank you Hime," Sakura smiled at Tsunade, taking the bag from her carefully, "I don't have much in my back pack so I'll carry it."

"But Sakura-cha~n," Naruto whined at her, "Why can't I do it?"

"Because you'll eat it all before lunch gets here," Sakura replied straight faced, "you eat enough food for ten people."

"That's mean," Naruto sniffed at her

"No, it's true," Sasuke snickered, "come on. We're going to be late!"

"We're already late!" Sakura giggled, following her dark haired friend with Naruto close behind

"I'm getting custody," Tsunade sighed to Mikoto, watching the three children giggle their way to the front door of the academy

"You don't trust Kakashi?" Mikoto asked in amusement

"I don't trust his cooking," Tsunade corrected, "not even Tenzo could eat what Kakashi gave him. He just hid most of it in a bag and buried it when Kakashi wasn't looking."

"And to think he's the famous bottomless pit!" Mikoto giggled, moving forward to keep the three children in touch, "I'll make sure the school knows about Sakura-chan!"

"No stress!" Tsunade shouted back, waving at the children and woman as they each turned back and waved cheerfully at her

"No stress!" the children giggled back, earning a smile from Tsunade

…

* * *

…

**Thoughts are helpful**

**Opinions are wonderful**

**Helpful criticism****is**** lovely! Just don't cripple me okay?**

**Please no cursing!**

**And don't forget to**** rate and**** review!**

**Page 10**


	17. Chapter 17

**Something New**

Chapter 17: a student's life

Koomahana

**Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine; you want the real stuff get off this site**

_Thoughts_

_Paragraphs are memories_

…

* * *

…

Recap

…

* * *

…

"Thank you Hime," Sakura smiled at Tsunade, taking the bag from her carefully, "I don't have much in my back pack so I'll carry it."

"But Sakura-cha~n," Naruto whined at her, "Why can't I do it?"

"Because you'll eat it all before lunch gets here," Sakura replied straight faced, "you eat enough food for ten people."

"That's mean," Naruto sniffed at her

"No, it's true," Sasuke snickered, "come on. We're going to be late!"

"We're already late!" Sakura giggled, following her dark haired friend with Naruto close behind

"I'm getting custody," Tsunade sighed to Mikoto, watching the three children giggle their way to the front door of the academy

"You don't trust Kakashi?" Mikoto asked in amusement

"I don't trust his cooking," Tsunade corrected, "not even Tenzo could eat what Kakashi gave him. He just hid most of it in a bag and buried it when Kakashi wasn't looking."

"And to think he's the famous bottomless pit!" Mikoto giggled, moving forward to keep the three children in touch, "I'll make sure the school knows about Sakura-chan!"

"No stress!" Tsunade shouted back, waving at the children and woman as they each turned back and waved cheerfully at her

"No stress!" the children giggled back, earning a smile from Tsunade

…

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…

End Recap

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* * *

…

Sakura stood between Naruto and Sasuke, staring at the large class in front of her through her hair, letting it run through her eyes to keep her forehead hidden. Her hands clenched around the straps of the backpack she wore, a deep Onex with bright crimson flower petals that looked like cheery blossoms stitched across it like petals on the wind. Naruto's bag was black but rimmed in white with little yellow leaves dancing across it like they were playing with the wind. Sasuke's bag hung from his shoulder, black as well but had his clan crest hand sown onto it.

"Class, this is Naruto Uzumaki, his cousin Sakura Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha," the tall chunin beside them gestured to each of them in turn, not seeming caring that he had two Uzumaki's in the same class. "It's their first day so be nice to them, for Sakura-chan it's her first day in such a large village. She was brought here by her current guardian Kakashi Hatake, who found her on his last mission; so I want all of you to be especially nice to her okay?"

"Yes sensei," the class drowned, not particularly caring for what he just said. The majority of the girls were staring at Sasuke like he was candy; the few others who weren't were day dreaming or reading a book. Most of the boys were chatting with each other like they didn't have a care in the world; few of them even looked at their three new class mates.

"Naruto-san, there's a seat in the front row for you," the instructor said, gesturing to the seat with a wave of his hand, he heard of the boy's pranks and he wasn't willing to let Naruto be out of his sight. "Sakura-chan, I'm sorry I know you'll want to stay with your cousin but I need you in the back beside Minori-chan. Can you do that?" A tall brown haired girl rose to her feet and waved cheerfully, having seen her teacher wave in her direction; Sakura had a bad feeling and shook her head, latching onto Naruto and Sasuke with both hands.

"We'd like to stay together if you don't mind sensei," Sasuke said politely, "we're the only ones she knows and it'd be too stressful for her to be seated beside complete strangers."

"Yeah... didn't you get what Miko-chan said?" Naruto butted in, frowning up at his new instructor, "Sakura-chan can't be put under too much stress, her heart will stop."

"I understand that," the man sighed, "but I only have three seats available and none of them are close together."

"Come on Sakura, Naruto," Sasuke sighed, pulling on Sakura's hand towards the door, "I'm sure the principle is willing to adjust our classes to keep us together."

_If I loose the Uchiha matriarch's son over something so minor, I'll never live it down!_ "W-wait!" the three paused looking back at him curiously, "Fine," their new instructor sighed, "Shanai and Shino... please move to the two open seats in the back..."

"Yes sensei," the two children agreed calmly, rising to their feet and going to their new seats silently

"There you three go," the man sighed, gesturing to the completely empty front row, "you can be seated together now..." _I hope this is just a phase_...

"Thanks!" Naruto laughed loudly, throwing both hands behind his head and marching to his new seat. Sakura hesitated with Sasuke in front of the new instructor, as if she wasn't sure what she should do. Just as the older man was going to ask what she wanted, Sakura looked up at him and smiled brightly.

"Thank you mister,"

…

* * *

…

She laid in a boneless heap atop her bed in her completely wrecked room, staring dully up at her still to pale ceiling. She had cried herself out the previous day at the funeral... or at least she thought she did, as it turned out she still had a few more tears left. It had been a week since she last been too school and three days since she last been outside, yet at the same time it felt like hours since she came home from school and just moments since she stepped out on her balcony.

_This wasn't supposed to happen_, she thought, staring dully at her ceiling , trying to remember the last face she saw so long ago before everything changed. _This wasn't suppo—_

"AMI!" she flinched at the hard shout of her father, slurred and slow like he'd been drinking heavily, "Get your a** out of bed and get to school!"

"Don't yell at her!" her mother shouted back, fury echoing in her too high voice, "She's still recovering from—"

"That worthless brat dyeing?!" her father asked loudly, making his daughter flinch at his nick-name for the strange little girl she knew, "The-re noth'en spe-chel about her!"

_He's drunk_, Ami noted absentmindedly as she pulled herself up from her bed tiredly, her body feeling like led and her head like it was squashed between two mountains.

"She wasn't worthless!" her mouth shouted back, her voice cracking with the volume "And what would you know about someone being worthless?! You're not taking any missions! You're not out training! You're not doing anything productive!" her mother went on and on, shouting and screaming at her father, arguing like they always did whenever one was more drunk then the other. Without a thought or even thinking about it really, Ami rose to her feet and moved towards her closet, she clambered in, stepping over her large totes and boxes, hiding herself completely in the endless darkness that was her closet. Just in time too, because her parents had just barged in on her room, still shouting at the top of their lungs because heaven knows they never stopped.

"—Ami?" her mother's voice suddenly got soft, tilting in confusion, "Where—"

"Ha! She 'eft!" her father cackled, interrupting her mother, apparently having found the one note that never left her desktop. "She went to—hick-up—o school already... 'onder when that was..."

"She'll be a wonderful shinobi," her mother sighed dreamily, thinking that it was a wonderful thing for her daughter to sneak past her.

"Wha? You mean lik-you?" her father mocked, "yeah because _you_ turned out so well!" and off like a bullet they were arguing again and again she was remaining silently, tucking her knees in close to her chin, keeping her arms wrapped tight around them so they wouldn't tremble so bad. As usually neither one of them bothered to look further then her note, they left after a moment of arguing with each other again, going further away from her room and slamming the door shut as they went.

_I hate my life,_ Ami thought, letting her head tilt to the side and thump softly against the wall of her closet, her eyes automatically sliding over to the only picture she had in her closet, pasted up on the opposite wall with thin clear tape over it's laminated surface. The picture was one from a year and a half before, of a little girl with a blinding smile turning in even brighter sunlight, letting it tint the image so it appeared as if she was missing the top right side of her face.

_You weren't supposed to die_, Ami felt something burn the back her eyes, like someone had decided to put acid beneath her eyelids. _You were supposed to get stronger... that's why... that's why..._

…

_She was laughing so loudly, her voice echoing all around her in the bright park, her parents laughing with her. she couldn't help but to stop and stare, amazed beyond words that someone had the gale to laugh in front of her family, unafraid of the consequences. She felt her mother pat her shoulder before gently tugging her away, already knowing what she was staring at and understanding her seemingly endless confusion._

"_Don't stare," her father snarled at her, jerking her out of her surprised stopper, "they're a family of freaks, you hear me Missy?"_

"_Yes daddy," back then she didn't know that his voice was full of hatred, she didn't know any better then to belief in everything her father had to say. He was her father and he was always right, no matter what anyone else said, her father was always right._

"_Good," her father bobbed his head courtly, "anyone who looks like them is a freak of nature and shouldn't have been born."_

"_But if they weren't supposed to be born..." Ami started, her brows pulling together in confusion, "then... then why were they born?"_

"_Because," her father snarled, this time Ami knew that tone of voice and had reflexively coddled close to her mother's skirt, "No one else can see that there's something wrong in their hearts so no one else is willing to get rid of them."_

"_You're wrong," her mother replied, voice soft but strong, "There's nothing wrong with them. Just because they look different doesn't mean—"_

"_Be silent woman," her father snarled again, startling Ami into actually hiding behind her mother. It was the first time her mother had ever dared to stand up against her father, so she knew that her mother must have had a very good reason for it. "You know nothing—"_

"_I know you're jealous," her mother replied, "We used to laugh like that, we used to be happy like that, you just can't stand someone else having what you can't." _

_It was the first argument they had and for some unknown reason, it was the beginning of everything for their fractured family. It was the beginning of the destruction of everything, just when they started healing, everything got broken beyond repair._

…

_You were supposed to get stronger_, Ami thought, staring at the brightly smiling face of the little girl she once knew, _If you could survive me... I knew you could survive him..._

"f-fore... head...," the whisper was soft and broken, accompanied by tiny crystalline tears that rolled down her cheeks silently. _I was cruel and cold to you..._ she could remember the giggling, the laughter and the joy that always seemed to accompany that little girl with the blinding smile. _You where supposed to grow... you were supposed to get strong..._ the world was a dark and depressing place, it destroyed anything and everything that was bright and warm...

The pink haired girl she picked on was proof enough of this, her laughter was like bells and her eyes always shined like jewels. She was bright like sunlight and warm like fire, she was like the sun was stuffed into a flower and then shaped into a person.

_You were... you were supposed to get strong..._ the little girl in the picture smiled back at her, eyes dancing and smile bright, she could even hear the bell like laughter the girl used to have. "S...Sakura..." _You were supposed to get strong... strong enough to handle anything... everything..._ that was the purpose behind her being so hard and cold to the strange looking girl with the bright smile and loving laughter. She knew the world was cold and hard, she wanted to prepare the pretty little girl who seemed to not notice the darkness surrounding her, she wanted to protect her and take care of her. That was the reason she did what she did to her, why she called her rude names, why she threw rocks and why she made fun of the pretty little girl.

_You weren't supposed to die..._ she did what she did to strengthen the little girl, to make her get used to the darkness surrounding her, so she could grow and over come it, so she wouldn't get weak and fall down. _You were supposed to get strong... you weren't supposed to die..._

"Sakura," the picture continued to smile mockingly back at her, as if reminding her that she could still smile even though she was buried in the black darkness of Ami's closet, hidden from the world like a secret. "Why?" she hid her face in her knees, new tears spilling out of her eyes as she hick upped and cried with renewed vigor, her body shaking in the near pitch black of her closet, hidden from her family and the world just like the picture she had hanging.

_You were supposed to get stronger! You weren't supposed to die!_ She tried to stop her tears, tried to stifle her sobbing, she really did try but she doubt it worked well. _You were supposed to grow strong! You were supposed to—to surpass everyone!_

Out of everyone in her school and out of everyone in her class, she knew that little Sakura Haruno was the only one who had a chance in the shinobi world. Her paper tests were always at the top, she never failed anything that was on a paper, she was the one with the unbeatable record. Now she was dead, now she was going to be forgotten; at their school, in their class... even her family was gone so they couldn't remember her anyways. Ami was the only left now, the only one who would be able to remember the shiny ball of pink energy that was always dancing through the world like a flower on the wind; never truly touching the ground, she was too light and free for something so simple.

_You weren't supposed to die,_ her sobbing subsided again, her tears still rolling freely down her tanned cheeks, her pain filled, tear stained eyes locked back in on the smiling picture. If she was going to be the only one who remained remembering the bright ball of pink energy then she was going to make sure no one else forgot.

"You were supposed to get strong," Ami whispered to the smiling picture of the little girl she used to bully, hoping that one day she'd finally snap at her and grow a spine, that she'd finally start to fight back. She continued to stare at the brightly smiling picture for a moment longer, finally she sniffed and rub viciously at her face, the pain from her ruff cuffs scrapped at her cheeks and the edges of her eyes, taking away the last of her tears with it.

_Fine then,_ she stared at smiling picture and carefully lifted it from the dark wall of her closet, _I'll make sure they won't forget!_ She let her thump roll over the edge of the photo, _I won't let anyone forget!_

Ami made the promise then, she was going to make sure no one forgot about that bright pink ball of energy because she was going to do everything the way she was going to. She was going to study long and hard, she was going to become the top kunochi in her year, she was going to be the smartest student of her year, she was going to make sure no one forgot that little pink haired girl she tried so hard to strengthen through cruelty.

"No worries now Sakura," Ami whispered, staring at the small palm sized picture in her hand, "I won't forget you... and I'll make sure..." her chin trembled and her eyes stung, "I'll make sure... no one else will either." She hick-upped and sniffed, her free hand rubbing at her eyes again to get ride of the building tears, "I'll make sure you'll be proud."

_You didn't know it Sakura-san..._ she rose to her feet and climbed out of her closet, flinching harshly at the bright sunlight streaming through her balcony glass doors._ But you were the sunlight in this blackened world I call life..._ she turned and sat down at her desk, she reached into her draw and grabbed a pair of scissors; as quickly as she had sat, she cut through the image in her hand, making a mental note to re-eliminate it later, and just as quickly grabbed the little round locket sitting around her neck like a led weight. Ami opened the small latch and carefully placed the picture over the image of what used to be her family, without a second thought she clicked the latch shut and stared at the perfectly preserved image of the pink haired girl she once knew. Nodding to herself Ami stood again, grabbed her backpack and moved to her balcony once more, carefully she swung out her rope she made when she decided to sneak out and used it once more to get out of her house. She swung the rope over and then quickly followed it down to the ground, with little effort, Ami hid the rope behind the tangle of clematis and ivy vines that were climbing over the wall of her home and up to her balcony. Without apologizing to her startled looking neighbor, Ami turned on her heal and started to move quickly towards her school.

_Sakura studied no matter what was thrown her way_, Ami thought, her dark brown eyes hardening as she moved quickly through the growing crowds, _her chakra control was top notch too... no matter what, I'll top her scores and make her proud!_

She'll make sure no one will forget that little pink haired girl she tried so hard to toughen up and the best way to do that was to mimic her every move and action. So that meant Ami had to get her grades up to the perfect score Sakura held for so long and she had to practice with her chakra control, she had to make that perfect as well. It'd take time and effort, nothing would happen over night, it would properly take her years before she was even close to Sakura's skill level but she'd get to it no matter how long it took.

Then she would know for sure that no one had forgotten the pinkette

_I won't let you down_, Ami thought, moving into a dead sprint, _I won't let anyone forget you!_

…

* * *

…

**Thoughts are helpful**

**Opinions are wonderful**

**Helpful criticism****is**** lovely! Just don't cripple me okay?**

**Please no cursing!**

**And don't forget to**** rate and**** review!**

**Page 8**


	18. Chapter 18

**Something New**

Chapter 18: Ami Yanagi admits her once plans

Koomahana

**Typically a Japanese school rank's their students on average grade like A, B, C, D, F not on subject, the number in front of the letter is typically the class year they are 1-6 for elementary 1-3 for middle and high school (basically 1-9 is labeled as 1-3 and 10-12 is done the same way.)**

**Have you ever seen in Manga where it shows the classroom plate above the door and it reads 3A or 2F? Well the number is the year of the student and the letter is average grade for that student.**

**Did I just make it confusing?**

**Class A is basically honors and Class F is for flunkies and drop outs**

**I hoped that helped**

**Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine; you want the real stuff get off this site**

_Thoughts_

_Paragraphs are memories_

…

* * *

…

Recap

…

* * *

…

Ami opened the small latch and carefully placed the picture over the image of what used to be her family, without a second thought she clicked the latch shut and stared at the perfectly preserved image of the pink haired girl she once knew. Nodding to herself Ami stood again, grabbed her backpack and moved to her balcony once more, carefully she swung out her rope she made when she decided to sneak out and used it once more to get out of her house. She swung the rope over and then quickly followed it down to the ground, with little effort, Ami hid the rope behind the tangle of clematis and ivy vines that were climbing over the wall of her home and up to her balcony. Without apologizing to her startled looking neighbor, Ami turned on her heal and started to move quickly towards her school.

_Sakura studied no matter what was thrown her way_, Ami thought, her dark brown eyes hardening as she moved quickly through the growing crowds, _her chakra control was top notch too... no matter what, I'll top her scores and make her proud!_

She'll make sure no one will forget that little pink haired girl she tried so hard to toughen up and the best way to do that was to mimic her every move and action. So that meant Ami had to get her grades up to the perfect score Sakura held for so long and she had to practice with her chakra control, she had to make that perfect as well. It'd take time and effort, nothing would happen over night, it would properly take her years before she was even close to Sakura's skill level but she'd get to it no matter how long it took.

Then she would know for sure that no one had forgotten the pinkette

_I won't let you down_, Ami thought, moving into a dead sprint, _I won't let anyone forget you!_

…

* * *

…

End Recap

…

* * *

…

It had been a week since she arrived in the clan funded shinobi academy; apparently it was the week of tests and exams, at the end the week they posted the tests results for the students to see. As usual, Naruto was close to the end but for once wasn't dead last, Sasuke was just over average and Sakura of course had an excuse not to get that high of a grade because she wasn't there for all of the lessons. Still Sakura studied hard at her new home and she made Naruto and Sasuke study with her, she wasn't number one in the tests but she wasn't exactly middle class either. According to the board in front of her, she ended up tying with another girl for fourth place in the exams, both of them getting a near perfect 75 percent on almost all of their papers. As such, Sakura ended up staring at the familiar looking purple haired girl standing to her right; staring up at their names dully like she didn't care but couldn't help but to glower at being tied with anyone.

1— Amano Michiko, class 6 A

2—Fujimoto Hironori, 4 A

3—Morisaki Hiroyuki, 3 C

4— Uzumaki Sakura, 3 E &amp; Yanagi Ami, 3 E

5— Hamasakai Haruna, 5 D

Ami glanced at her, making Sakura flinch back at the ice-cold coffee brown eyes that Ami now had, and walked away from the crowd, her hands fisting around the straps of her bag. Sakura turned very slowly to watch the purple haired girl walk away, the girl actually didn't get far before stopped in her tacks, turning to look back at her coldly.

"You're Sakura Uzumaki aren't you?" Ami asked, her voice low and gruff, as if she hadn't been speaking for several days

"Y-yes," Sakura stuttered, turning to face her once tormentor fully, _I hope she doesn't recognize me... still though..._ Sakura watched as Ami's eyes hardened then Sakura thought was possible and her face twisted into a snarl

"No matter what you do, you'll never be able to take her place," Ami snarled at her

"Huh?" Sakura blinked dumbly at Ami, surprised and confused by the purple haired girl's venom laced words

"You heard me," Ami growled, "You'll never be able to take Sakura Haruno's place. No matter what you do, you're just a replacement for her and not a very good one at that."

_But... I am Sakura Haruno_, Sakura thought, forgetting for a moment that she no longer had her cheery blossom pink hair, "W-why d-do you say that?" Still no matter how Sakura looked at Ami, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was very off about the purple haired girl who was so cruel to her.

"I knew Sakura Haruno," Ami replied, her face suddenly taking on a deferent look for a brief moment, softening out as if she was thinking of a different person then the one she tormented and bullied. Then as suddenly as the expression came, the soft smile faded and was replaced once more with that icy cold mask that threatened to still Sakura's heart with a single look. "She was the only one who had a chance at surviving this blackened world," Ami walked away from Sakura, ignoring the two girls she once called friends, ignoring the worried looks some of her teachers gave her and ignoring how the student body seemed to make a wide birth for her in the hallway.

_What happened?_ Sakura thought, watching Ami walk away with wide eyes. She remembered when Ami used to laugh at her, used to taunt her about her forehead, strange green eyes and even stranger pink hair but never once had Ami ever dared to say anything about the diamond on her forehead. The one time she did, the purple haired girl dared to smile and compliment the strange seal that never should've existed; then again, Ami didn't know Sakura had been nearby and listening in on her conversation with her two 'best' friends.

_Ami... _Sakura thought, a strange feeling of pain in her chest that had nothing to do with the wound she still bared from _that_ night with her parents, _what happened to you?_

…

* * *

…

Ami marched through the halls of her new school, ignoring everyone and everything, marching like always did. She was now the first one in her classes and the first one to leave them, she abandon her so called 'friends' and only spook to her teachers when she needed to. She refused to go home until it was dark out, choosing instead to go to the library and study up on ways to improve her chakra control and studying up on her current assignments, trying to gain that number one spot that pink ball of energy would've gotten without even trying. Still no matter what Ami did, the days she spent at the training grounds practicing her chakra control or the nights she spent at the library reading up on what she needed to get a head in class, Ami still made it a habit to stop by the grave yard to sit in front of her once target's grave, determined to spend at least an hour there before she bothered to return to her 'home'. As it was, today was a Sunday and officially a month had passed since the Haruno murder, no one remembered Sakura anymore just as Ami had predicted and her teachers never brought her up again. It was almost like the name 'Haruno' was taboo and so was anything related to the subject.

_Empty again_, Ami thought, walking past the gates of the graveyard and marching through the isles of tombstones in a half haze, having long since memorized the path to her destination. As usual the graveyard didn't bear a single soul in it and Ami was left in peace to stop and kneel in front of the family tombstone. She offered up her typical payers for the dead, then she set her usual flower over Sakura's name on the stone, then Ami sat back and just stared at the name, as if willing it to show her the face of the girl she once knew.

"You're here again," Ami gasped at the soft voice, she turned around and promptly glared at the boy a few paces away, silently noting his short black hair and ashy gray skin; the man standing just behind him was tall and old, standing with a cane in one hand and half his face wrapped with bandages. "It's nice to finally meat you miss, I'm—"

"Go away," Ami snapped out coldly, turning back to the grave in front of her

"Eh? That was rude!" the boy tried to whine at her, tried being the key word. It was like he didn't know how to whine, he just said the words like he was reading from a script and added volume to them.

"This is my time of peace," Ami growled lowly, glaring over her shoulder at the black haired boy, "Go away."

"There is no need to be rude girl," the old man said, stepping forward and ignoring the black haired boy as he quickly ducked behind him as if he wanted to disappear before the man could notice him. "My name is Danzo Shimura and I have some questions for you."

"I've heard of you old man," Ami replied coldly, her eyes narrowing at him, "You're on the village council and the man in charge of the Anbu black ops division. You protect the village from the shadows."

"Very good," Danzo smirked at her, "tell me, do you want to get stronger? Do you want to become a true kunochi? Do you—"

"You specialize in espionage and destruction in general," Ami interrupted, "you have nothing that I want."

"Hmm? So you don't want help with your chakra control?" Ami felt her body stiffen at the question, her eyes moving to glare warningly over at the old man, "Your grades have escalated at an unnatural rate, almost like you're a completely different person from before... well..." he looked down at the tomb in front of Ami pointedly

"The Ami Yanagi you know of is dead," Ami said calmly, her voice unnaturally cold for her young age

"Oh?" Danzo chuckled, "Then could you please tell me who I'm speaking to now?" Ami snorted and turned back to the gravestone in front of her, having no intention of continuing the conversation. She sat still in silence, not moving a muscle, even as the wind blew a frigid cold that she swore went strait though her clothes and flesh and threatened to bury itself deep into her heart. Ami ignored the darkening sky, the dipping temperatures, the soft white puffs escaping her barely parted lips, the sleepy chirping of the birds in the trees and even the unnatural stillness of the old man and the young boy accompanying him.

"Hay violet you still alive over there?" the boy asked rudely; Ami felt her brow tick, no one had ever dared to insult her before. Instead of rising to the bait, Ami smoothly rose to her feet and continued to stare at the gave stone for another moment before she turned on her heal and walked right past the rude black haired boy and strange old man.

"Ami Yanagi," Danzo called, "I could help you with what ever it is that you desire." Ami stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes widening; she never saw how Danzo smirked triumphantly to himself or how the boy watched her in an almost curious manner.

"Wh-what ever... I desire?" Ami asked softly, her voice barely even heard in the silent graveyard

"That's right," Danzo agreed, bobbing his head, "be it knowledge or strength, I can give you what ever it is you—"

"Can you raise the dead?" Ami asked, cutting Danzo off and surprising him, "Can you rewind time and stop the men from slaughtering the Haruno family? Or course not. You can't raise the dead because the Niidaime never finished that accursed jutsu and even if you did finish it for him it'd be labeled as kinjutsu so using it would get you executed. And the same for rewinding time, it'd be kinjutsu that would most likely require the life of the caster or sacrifice so using it would not only be forbidden but also a suicide march."

Danzo gritted his teeth till he could nearly feel them crack under the pressure

"You have nothing that I want," Ami said coldly, disappearing into the deep black darkness of the night like a mirage

…

* * *

…

_It must be a genius thing_, Danzo thought as he marched through his dark halls of the Anbu base, eyes glinting coldly in the frigid halls. He had set his eyes on Ami Yanagi because she did a remarkable turn around just after Sakura Haruno's death, going from an all Ds and Fs to an all As and Bs within a week and a half. Not only that but her chakra control was suddenly one of the best in the academy, nearly toping that new academy student Sakura Uzumaki. He honestly never thought that Ami had any chance in the shinobi world; she was stuck up and self centered, believing in nothing but her own strength. Now though? Now she studied nearly from dawn to dusk. She spent every morning practicing her chakra control, trying to get her leaf to spin on the tip of her nose and then even tried to stack another leaf on top of that, then spent the majority of her after noon in the library studying advanced chakra control techniques until the library closed and the librarians all but physically removing her from the premises. Then she always spent at least an hour at the Haruno grave sight, typically staring at the tombstone, before returning back to her house where she'd climb up a rope to get into her room instead of taking the front door because her parents were always arguing and she didn't want to catch their attention.

Danzo briefly wondered if her parents would even notice Ami missing from their house but he suspected that her mother checked in on her room each night before she herself went to bed for the day. Ami's father took her notes at face value and never entered her room again because she always put her notes on her bedroom door. Ami herself spent only the bare minimum in her home and that was to sleep and eat when her parents were still sleeping.

_It must be a genius thing_, Danzo thought again, pausing on the suspended bridge he was on to look over the edge at the bridge below him, keen black eyes locking in on the two geniuses he had in his ranks. Kakashi Hatake and Itachi Uchiha were invaluable to his sector of the village and he would be very pissed to lose even one of them. For the sake of the children he now had to raise, Kakashi had decided to step down to Jonin rank and Itachi was already at Jonin rank because of his 'sickness' that his mother claimed he had. He needed to replenish his ranks, he had wanted another 'genius' to train, to take into root and create another perfect soldier to use for the sake of the village.

"_You have nothing that I want,"_

Danzo growled lowly and moved on, teeth grinding together as he marched across the bridge and through another dark hall. he could give that girl what she wanted, he could have Orochimaru bring back that little pinkette Ami was apparently close to (which didn't sound right because his sources said Ami and Sakura was like fire and oil—Ami was fire and Sakura was oil) but the second he showed Ami 'Sakura' she would know that he had used Edo Tensai and would most likely report him to Hiruzen.

Why is it that every 'genius' he came across left him before he could dig his claws deep enough?

…

* * *

…

**Thoughts are helpful**

**Opinions are wonderful**

**Helpful criticism****is**** lovely! Just don't cripple me okay?**

**Please no cursing!**

**And don't forget to**** rate and**** review!**

**Page 7**


	19. Chapter 19

**Something New**

Chapter 19: a few months later

Koomahana

**Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine; you want the real stuff get off this site**

_Thoughts_

_Paragraphs are memories_

…

* * *

…

Recap

…

* * *

…

Danzo briefly wondered if her parents would even notice Ami missing from their house but he suspected that her mother checked in on her room each night before she herself went to bed for the day. Ami's father took her notes at face value and never entered her room again because she always put her notes on her bedroom door. Ami herself spent only the bare minimum in her home and that was to sleep and eat when her parents were still sleeping.

_It must be a genius thing_, Danzo thought again, pausing on the suspended bridge he was on to look over the edge at the bridge below him, keen black eyes locking in on the two geniuses he had in his ranks. Kakashi Hatake and Itachi Uchiha were invaluable to his sector of the village and he would be very pissed to lose even one of them. For the sake of the children he now had to raise, Kakashi had decided to step down to Jonin rank and Itachi was already at Jonin rank because of his 'sickness' that his mother claimed he had. He needed to replenish his ranks, he had wanted another 'genius' to train, to take into root and create another perfect soldier to use for the sake of the village.

"_You have nothing that I want,"_

Danzo growled lowly and moved on, teeth grinding together as he marched across the bridge and through another dark hall. he could give that girl what she wanted, he could have Orochimaru bring back that little pinkette Ami was apparently close to (which didn't sound right because his sources said Ami and Sakura was like fire and oil—Ami was fire and Sakura was oil) but the second he showed Ami 'Sakura' she would know that he had used Edo Tensai and would most likely report him to Hiruzen.

Why is it that every 'genius' he came across left him before he could dig his claws deep enough?

…

* * *

…

End Recap

…

* * *

…

Ami watched the spare in front of her carefully, silently taking note of each student's weak points and strong points; automatically organizing moves she could use against them should she be forced to. It had been a few days since her encounter with Danzo and she felt no need to tell anyone about it, her grades have improved, her teachers were starting to notice her but the students were starting to avoid her. Ami tried to tell herself that she didn't care, that her priority was to keep up with Sakura's memory and make sure no one forgot the little pinkette who was killed so long ago. But that didn't mean she didn't feel lonely when she ate lunch by herself or when she suddenly realized that she spent the entire night in the library because the librarians gave up on throwing her out and let her remain with a simple guard sleeping in the corner nearby. She knew that the path she chose to take would be hard, that it would get dark and that it would start to strangle her and make it nearly imposable to survive but she also knew that Sakura had it a whole lot worse—and that was her reason for persevering through the ache in her chest when she saw a group of friends or saw something pink from the corner of her eye or when her old friends would try to talk to her again.

"Ami Yanagi and Ai Nakata get up here!" Ami jerked at the sound of her name, her eyes automatically locking in on her sparing teacher before swinging over to her once friend. The brown haired girl's face twisted up but she got up and went to the center of the field, turning slightly to look expectantly at Ami.

"Ami," she looked up at the white haired chunin, Mizuki her mind tells her, not caring for his expression of disappointment, "get up here, I'm waiting."

"Dose it look like I care for what you want?" Ami asked, returning to the book in her lap, she tried to ignore the fact that she had been caught watching the fights regardless of her attempt to study. "I'm studying, leave me alone."

"Ami," Mizuki said in a scolding tone of voice, "this is your PE class, not free hour. I told you to get up here and get ready for your spare, now get up here."

"Why don't you just give me a detention?" Ami asked, flipping a page in her book

"Because that works in your favor not mine," Mizuki groaned at her, "come on Missy, you're not supposed to be studying now anyways." In answer, Ami pointed her finger over at Sakura Uzumaki, who was sitting against the fence with a book in her lap and a notebook and pencil to her right. "Sakura-san is different," Mizuki sighed, "She can't spare, you know that."

"You could have her do something physical instead," Ami shot back, turning another page, "yet you let her study anyways, going so far as to remove her name entirely from the sparing list and your grading system."

"Now how would you know that?" Mizuki asked with a raised eyebrow

"Every time they post our grades, she has an E in your class," Ami answered, lifting her eyes to look at her current teacher, "can I finish my book now? I have a report to write on it" Mizuki sighed and raised one hand to rub at his brow

"What, are you scared of me now?" Ai asked with a frown twisting her features, "Since when did you care about books anyways? I thought only ugly little girls cared about reading about something we'll never use," Ami actually flinched at the reminder of what she once said to Sakura so long ago. "That is what you said isn't Ami? That only ugly girls cared what the teacher's thought? Or are you suddenly taking that ugly cow's place?" Ami could feel her teeth grind together, her body actually tremble as she clenched her hand around the spin of the book she was trying to read.

"Ai that wasn't nice," Mizuki frowned at the girl, only to see that Ami had risen to her feet, dropping her book on the ground before she marched towards them with shaking fists. _I see..._

"Hah, you are afraid of me," Ai snorted, putting her hands on her hips, "You never bothered to tremble for a spare before, that was ugly's job—"

"...shut up..." Ami whispered, pausing at the edge of the small circle inside the ring for the sparing mach

"Huh? What was that?" Ai asked, raising a brow at Ami

"...shut up..." Ami repeated

"Whispering really isn't your style Ami," Ai huffed with a pout, "only ugly cows—"

"I Said shut up!" Ami shouted, glaring at her once friend through a mop of her perfect midnight purple hair, her brown eyes turning inky black with her fury, "have you no respect for the dead?" Ai stared at Ami wide eyed, having never seen this completely furious side to Ami, even when she attacked and belittled that pink haired girl they once knew. Ami continued to tremble in her place, dark eyes burning furiously at Ai with a look the brunet had never seen before.

"Of course I have respect for the dead," Ai said slowly, shifting her stance slightly, "Just not for that ugly a** co—" Ami burst forward with enough speed to surprise Mizuki, her fist slammed into her once friend's face with enough force to make an audible 'snap' and with enough force to knock the brown haired girl on to her back side.

"Whoa Ami!" Mizuki jumped forward, standing protectively between the two once friends, "I didn't say go yet! Do you want to get a detention or even disqualified for attacking a student without permission?!"

"What's the matter sensei?" Ami asked, eyes still clued to her once friend, "you wanted us to spare, I'm here and waiting for my opponent."

"Ch, it's just like you to attack without warning," Ai growled pushing herself onto her feet and holding one hand to her jaw, "don't think I'll let you get another free hit, Yanagi-san."

"Like I'd care if you did," Ami growled back, "Nakata-san."

"Girls," Mizuki said in a warning tone

"You wanted us to fight Sensei," Ami reminded the white haired chunin, "now let's get this over with. I have more important things to do."

"Like morning over that girl you used to throw rocks at?" Ai asked, moving into the basic stance she was taught for Taijutsu, "what's the matter Ami-_chan_?" Ai asked mockingly, "Do you miss your favorite punching bag?"

"Like you know anything about it," Ami replied, smoothly sliding into her own stance, hands before herself readily. "Haruno-san was hardly a punching bag."

"Funny," Ai mocked, "you sure did treat her like one."

"Ready?" Mizuki asked, giving up on the matter and putting a hand between the two girls, signaling that the match between them was about to start

"For someone who can't see the reasoning behind everyone's actions, I'm not surprised you never noticed it," Ami shot back, venom lacing her words like poisoned daggers.

"The reason behind everyone's actions?" Ai repeated with a raised eyebrow, "What are you? a physiologist? You never cared for that girl any more then I did, why do you now?"

"You're wrong Ai," Ami growled, "I did care for Haruno-san. Enough so to act the part of a bad guy so that her skin would toughen up. That was the reason behind my actions towards Haruno-san. I wanted her to grow from my antics; I wanted her to get strong and to surpass everyone's expectations of her." Mizuki frowned at the purple haired girl, which was the most he has ever heard the girl speak since the funeral where she cried in her mother's arms until she passed out. He had thought it odd that the famed bully would cry for her favorite target but he didn't question it at the time, now he understood her actions a little better.

"Why would you do that?" Ai asked, "Why would you go so far for a stranger?"

"Because," Ami answered coldly

"Go!" Mizuki moved away from the girls

"She brought light into my hell," Ami lunged forward and attacked Ai with a ferocity that no one had ever witnessed from the girl before. Every punch and kick she made connected, forcing Ai to retreat and block as much as possible, though that seemed to help her little as Ami continued to come after her like a very pissed demonic cat.

No one noticed how three children had paid very close attention to Ai's and Ami's conversation, each sharing a look before nodding courtly, as if giving a silent agreement to some silent plan they all knew of

"Up!" Mizuki ordered, moving forward and snatching up Ami's arms before she could land a particularly nasty punch to Ai's face. "I said up!" Mizuki shouted slightly panicked when Ami's foot moved in a near perfect arc and collided with the side of Ai's head, forcing the brunet back onto the ground with a hard _thump_.

"Ami Yanagi if you wanted to skip this class then you got your wish!" Mizuki snapped, nearly throwing the purple haired girl out of the ring, pointing at the exit of the large gym they were in, "Spend the rest of the class period out side in the hall. I'll have a word with the principle and your parents about your behavior later, young lady."

"You speak as if my parents give a damn," Ami shot back, picking up her book and dusting off, "whatever. It's not like I care anyways. Go ahead and talk to them, see what happens." Mizuki sighed and rubbed at his brow tiredly, clanking back at Ai as she picked herself up and moved her way back to her other friend and sat down, letting the blond fuss over her wounds.

"Okay, who's next?" Mizuki asked, looking down at his clipboard, "Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha... come up here and get ready." Mizuki turned to look at where he had last seen the two boys beside the sickly Uzumaki, all three children had promptly disappeared, properly off planning another prank or (heaven forbid) off to talk with Ami.

"Alright, who wants to go next?" Mizuki asked, turning to look at the rest of his class, only to see that none of them were looking at him. they were all whispering to each other, fascinated with the argument that had just happened between the two once renowned bullies the academy had.

"Ino Yakamaka! Hinata Hyūga!" Mizuki barked in anger, not thinking about the two kunochi he just named off, "get up here!" it was only after the two girls in question moved to stand in front of him that Mizuki realized his mistake, they were simply the two girls he could think of right off the top of his head like that and so hadn't actually thought about the consequences of having two clan heiresses spar each other.

"Begin," Mizuki sighed, wanting to burry himself under a big rock, _I'm gonna die for this..._

…

* * *

…

"Sensei!" Hiruzen sighed as Tsunade barged into his office, going so far as to pull a Naruto and slamming the door against the wall.

"Tsunade-Hime," Hiruzen sighed, "Can it wait? I'm in a meeting..." he waved a pointed hand at the three councilors in front of him

"No it can't wait!" Tsunade hissed, ignoring the village council members entirely, "You put Kakashi Hatake in charge of my cousins?! That brat of a boy can't even cook! He doesn't know what he's doing!"

"I assure you Hime, I've had him on plenty of baby-sitting missions before I had them assigned to him" Hiruzen tried to reassure. "It's only been two weeks, what could have possibly happened to—"

"I want custody!" Tsunade snapped, "I'm not leaven here with them under his care!"

"No one's pushing you away Tsunade-Hime," Hiruzen sighed

"I'm not leaving them in his care!" Tsunade growled, "I want Sakura Haruno and Naruto Uzumaki in my custody!"

"Haruno?"

Hiruzen groaned and Tsunade stiffened, slowly the blond turned to look at the three village elders—they did not look happy

"The Haruno family is dead," Danzo said evenly, "or is there a little something you conveniently forgot to tell us?"

"...The Haruno family is dead," Tsunade said, straightening her threatening posture and regarding the three coolly, "I just want the Uzumaki cousins in my custody."

"...Mebuki's and Kizashi's daughter's name..." Homura mumbled, turning to her teammate's with a tilted head, "Do you recall her name?"

"No," Koharu sighed, shaking his head

"Sakura," Danzo answered, "her name was Sakura Haruno... Naruto's 'cousin' is named 'Sakura' as well..."

"I wonder," Homura sighed, turning to look at Hiruzen and Tsunade with a deep brown on her wrinkled face, "Is Sakura Haruno and Sakura Uzumaki one and the same?"

_Sheet!_ Tsunade thought, giving a distressed look with her sensei

_I knew I should've given her a new first name,_ Hiruzen sighed, sucking on his tobacco pip

…

* * *

…

"Ino Yakamaka?"

"Here"

"Kiba Inuzuka?"

"Here!" "Arf!"

"Damn it Kiba! How many times do I have to tell you no pets in class?!"

"Deal with it old man!" Kiba snapped back, petting his pup affectionately

"If I find one mess you're in big trouble brat, you got that?" he asked loudly, his brow ticking in annoyance

"Yeah, sure, whatever," sometimes Sora Yoshimoto really wanted to beat the stuffing out of his students, but because some of them were clan heirs or the younger sibling of a clan heir, the majority of said annoying students were practically safe from his wrath.

"Who do I have next?" Sora asked himself, not really expecting an answer, rubbing at his brow as he looked back down at his list of names "...Ami Yanagi?" he looked up at the classroom expectantly, she was one of the few children in his class who refused to acknowledge him because she was always studying, cramming her mind full of information. Some of it was relevant to his class and some of it wasn't. All the same, the girl ended up reading text books a year ahead of what she needed to be reading at.

"Ami Yanagi?" her seat was empty for once, which was unusual because she never missed a day any more, "Has anyone seen her today?"

"Sensei," one of his students called, raising their hand in an almost shy manner, "it's March 28th."

"Yes I know," He blinked and tilted his head to the side, truly clueless about the significance of the date, "What about it?"

"...It's Sakura Haruno's birthday." the young boy said, shifting uncomfortably, "It's been three weeks... since the... the Haruno murder..."

_Three weeks, only three weeks?_ Sora thought, rubbing one hand over his brow as if he suddenly aged twenty years, _I guess I should've seen it coming._ He glanced over at the front right row, sighing at its completely empty seats. The three children who typically sat there were gone, no note or notice, no warning what so ever.

"Alright then..." he sighed and quickly scanned his rows of mostly occupied seats, "Who wants to go on a field trip to the Haruno grave?"

Almost everyone in the room raised their hand

_I'm so getting fired_

…

* * *

…

It was silent in the meeting room—unnaturally so—, the temperature seemed to drop every other second to the point the young Jonin to his left was nearly shifting uneasily. To his right stood two rightfully pissed off Sanin standing side-by-side with glares in place and crossed arms. In front of him sat his three village councilors and once friends, all three with matching frowns and glares.

"So," Homura started lowly, her keen black eyes sharp on Hiruzen in an accusatory glare, "What you're saying is that—"

"You don't trust us," Koharu interrupted, his face still impressively impassive.

"...that's a little harsh," Hiruzen sighed, closing his eyes and setting his pip aside, "but all the same... yes. I don't trust you."

"So what are you going to do?" Homura asked, her wrinkled face twisting further into a frown, "forcefully retire us?"

"Oh heaven's no!" Hiruzen said, sounding as if he wanted to groan but was too horrified by his friend's words to do so, "We're not Kumo! Yes you'll have appetency's placed under your wing to take your place eventually, but I'm not going to _permanently_ retire you!"

"And just how long do we have with these 'appetency's' under our wing?" Homura asked with a lifted eyebrow, "A few weeks? A few months?"

"Don't be absurd," Hiruzen huffed at his old teammate, "I was thinking a few years."

"Oh? How many years are we talking about?" Danzo asked, fringing curiosity. Inside he was absolutely livid, he was commander of the Anbu black ops division and with it came with the perks of knowing in advanced just where all of Hiruzen's loyal little puppies were at all times. Without that knowledge he wouldn't be able to maneuver his soldiers around without detection, he would be unable to train them and most importantly, he would be unable to _recruit_ them.

"oh I don't know..." Hiruzen glanced questioningly at the two Sanin to his right

"I'd say about... seven or eight years?" Jiraiya said, as if he couldn't quite decide on the number

"Ah~ when our two little village secrets are say sixteen? Seventeen?" Homura asked with a raised eyebrow, sounding as if she was amused by the information, "Will we be training them or someone else?"

"No way in hell are _you_ going anywhere near them," Tsunade hissed, her eyes flashing warningly at the elders, "I'll die before I'll let one of you three teach them _anything_."

_Then why aren't you dead?_ Danzo thought to himself, outwardly showing nothing but inwardly wondering if the blonde had some kind of sixth sense about one of them (him) wanting to teach the 'Uzumaki cousins'. "If we're taking apprentices to take our places... then what of you Hiruzen?" Danzo asked suddenly, turning his full attention on his once rival, "Will you not be retiring soon as well?"

"But of course," Hiruzen smiled amusedly at the three of them, "I'm training Tsunade-Hime to take my place."

_Take that you old coot!_ Tsunade thought with a smirk at Danzo, taking great pleasure in pissing him off _again_

And yet, despite everything about the man's cold as ice face, without a single hint of emotion on it, Tsunade could all but see the furious emotions that Danzo refused to show

…

* * *

…

She kneeled in front of the familiar grave she visited every week, this time she had a bouquet of Red spider lilies, Sweet Peas, Yellow Camellias, Daffodils and filled with bundles of bright purple flowers with long graceful stems called Shion and weepy green stems with unique white flowers in the shape similar to a hooded cobra, the flower was named Sagiso. Together the bouquet was supposed to read, "My thoughts will follow you into your dreams, longing to meet your reincarnate, remember my respect, good bye." But somehow Ami figured that might've been a little much for a dead kid who knew very little about flowers to actually understand what she was trying to say: "I miss your smile, I remember you daily, I dream of you often, I wish I could see you again, I wish I could forget."

"It's not perfect," Ami whispered, brushing the dead leafs off the plaque of the girl she tried to strengthen through her father's advise of cruelty, "but I hope you like them. Do you know what they mean? I hope you know what I mean..." she sat back on her hunches, smiling fondly at the warm amber washed stone, as usual no voices answered her back, no wind pushed against her and no birds sang their greeting to her. Sometimes, Ami felt like Mother Nature herself knew she was morning and had silenced the life around her to give the girl a moment of silence to mourn the dead.

"Hay pinky," Ami whispered, moving her feet to sit more comfortably in front of the statue, "long time no see... sorry, really bad joke." Ami took a deep breath and let it out slowly, "So... I think I might graduate early, some of the teachers are looking at me funny lately and I met a Jonin yesterday. I doubt I'll graduate this year or even the next year but maybe when I'm like eleven... or maybe I'll just graduate with everyone else, I'm already nine for crying out loud." Ami smiled thoughtfully, "So what do you think about that? I worked hard and acquired what came naturally to you." Ami sniffed and rubbed at her cheek in irritation.

"See what happens when you-you stop to use... wh-what you've got?" Ami was quiet as she whipped stubbornly at her eyes, trying to prevent the threat of tears from becoming anything more then a threat. "Y-You could've g-graduated e-early..." Ami hick upped and it was like the damn broke, suddenly her tears didn't stop flowing and she continued to rub viciously at her face, trying desperately to stop the tears. It was still deathly quiet in the graveyard (no pun intended) but the strange silence no longer bothered Ami as it might have a year before, when she used to stop by in the middle of the night to leave flowers behind on her once 'victim's' tombstone. She was sure that there were some older shinobi who knew exactly what she was doing and she was sure some of them followed her home just to make sure she stayed safe. Ami knew that Sakura's parents were once famous shinobi before the Kiyobi attack; she knew that Mebuki had become severally weakened by giving birth to Sakura and that Kizashi's chakra system took a nasty side affect from the Kiyobi's chakra that filled the air like a blanket of poisonous miasma. Ami knew Sakura had absurd chakra control, that she was intelligent and that genjutsu never seemed to work on her, she knew that Sakura's 'mental break' that 'released a terrifying genjutsu' was actually a lie to cover up the fact that the pinkette had a diamond seal in the very center of her forehead.

It was a simple lie to distract everyone from the knowledge that no one knew how or why Sakura suddenly gained a seal on her forehead

"Ami?" she gasped and snapped around at the soft voice, standing just a few paces behind her stood the three in-separate-able best friends that were the top students in the academy. Sakura Uzumaki was the top in her paper tests but ailed miserably in her physical Ed because she has a weak heart, Sasuke Uchiha remained as the third smartest student in school and was currently holding the title of 'rookie of the year' already and Naruto Uzumaki was known as the class clown but he was actually stationed as number four in their academic requirements.

Ami herself, had the second highest academic scores—toped only by Sakura Uzumaki

"Wh-what are you doing here?" Ami tried to make herself sound mad or at least offended, but even she could hear the broken tilt to her voice, like a poor mixture of anger and horror (both at herself).

"We could ask you the same," Sasuke shot back, "You never liked Sakura Haruno." It was as if he had to make appoint about the last name, as if reminding everyone that the Haruno girl was dead and the Uzumaki girl replaced her. Ami had no response for him that was the point of everything she did to the pinkette, to give the impression that she didn't like the crybaby pinkette. She didn't want anyone to know that she was trying to make said crybaby stronger... cruelty was all she knew so she dished it out to the girl, hoping to make her stronger as a result.

"Did you mean it?" the red head asked softly, earning a confused look from Ami, "what you said... about her being able to graduate early if she tried, did you mean it?" Ami sniffed and turned away stubbornly, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring off to the side, as if that was enough of an answer for the three best friends. "But then... why did you treat her the way you did? Why did you tease her and make fun of her? Why did you hurt her?"

"Because," Ami sniffed, "She was supposed to grow strong."

…

* * *

…

"Is everyone ready?" Sora asked, watching the assorted children bob their heads and mumble their soft agreements, "Alright then let's go."

The children stayed together, following their teacher out of the school and through the village, ignoring the whispers of the villagers as they marched past, heading straight for the centenary. By the time they arrived at the site, they found the top four students were already there, sitting together in front of the three engraved names on a single tombstone. Sasuke and Naruto, like usual, were flanking their favorite Red head; what wasn't normal was the purple haired girl sitting beside said red haired girl directly in front of the tomb stone. Sora sighed, a faint smile on his tanned cheeks, already seeing that all four children where dressed in their respectful black uniform that they each wore for the funeral the previous year. He didn't know that one little girl knew so many people or that so many people knew one little girl. Did his whole class know of the pinkette or did the pinkette knew everyone in his class? How many more people would arrive to pay respect to the family who died in the middle of the night?

"Come along everyone," Sora said softly, moving forward, "one at a time, no pushing or shoving..." It was the first time anyone in his class had been so quiet, so respectful, listening to his orders without protest or complaint. After five minutes it wasn't just his class, other children from both academies showed up with their teachers or parents, all dressed in black with solemn faces and flowers in hand. Sore briefly wondered why he didn't notice the student's outfits sooner but dismissed the thought because it seemed to be one of those days, unconsciously everyone in the village dressed in black and spook softly, their level of respect rising to a new level.

It was the beginning and the first village wide mourning and the next year would have the village gather again, paying respect to the lost family who fought and died in the night with silent screams. And as time passed and the years came and went, March 28th became the day to respect the dead and honor the family who fought to protect each other until their last breath.

March 28th was the day to remember the dead and to celebrate life

…

* * *

…

"Mother, father, I'm home!" Ami called, opening her door and stepping though. It was the first time she used the front door since she started fighting hard to keep everyone remembering the little girl she tried to strengthen. Her parents were so surprised by her actually making sound upon her entrance into their home that they both froze mid fight and looked at their daughter with bewildered expressions.

"Sweaty?" her mother called softly, her purple hair was pulled back into a high bun, her soft brown eyes filled with confusion and cleared slightly from what ever haze she had been in, "Is everything okay? You're home early..."

"No I'm not," Ami replied, walking past her parents without looking at them, "I come home all the time at this time." Ami paused in the entrance to the kitchen of her home, glancing back at her parents with cold brown eyes, "You both are always fighting so you never notice." Her parents couldn't respond to that statement because they knew she was right.

_Something isn't right_, Ami thought as she rummaged in the fridge and pulled out some left over's, _something doesn't feel right..._ Ami paused beside the dinning room table in confusion, the silence in her home sounding eerily. _That's it! Silence!_ Ami looked at the doorway to the kitchen/dinning room expectantly, they were both standing together with befuddled expressions, as if they hadn't known that she knew what a fridge was.

"You're quiet," Ami observed dully, making her parents flinch and blink out of their stopper. As her mother and father both stumbled over their words, walking into the kitchen to join her for an early dinner, Ami realized that she had just gotten a sliver of her old life back. Which was good because in another time and another place, it was Ami's family who had died that day; it was Ami's father who got into a drunken fight with her mother and it was he who threw the kunai that her mother dodged only to have go straight through Ami's forehead when she entered her home. It would've been Ami's family who was buried in the graveyard that year; with only Hokage, the funeral directors and graveyard caretakers to witness the funeral. No one at her school would've considered her absence strange or unusual because she skipped often, no one would've noticed Ami's disappearance for nearly two months when one of the new teachers, Iruka, finally noticed that she hadn't shown up for some time.

By having Danzo Shimura act early and accidentally murdering the Haruno family, Ami's own family had been spared and given a second chance at happiness.

A second chance to gain what they had lost years ago

…

* * *

…

**Yeah I know, a little depressing and a time skip but what else could I do?**

**I'm nearing the time of graduation... it really wasn't my plan to keep Sakura in the academy for so long but that's how it worked out, I hope it flowed okay...**

**Any ideas for the next chapter?**

**PS:**

**Everyone is now eight and half or nine years old (Ami was older so she was nine in this chaper)**

**Thoughts are helpful**

**Opinions are wonderful**

**Helpful criticism****is**** lovely! Just don't cripple me okay?**

**Please no cursing!**

**And don't forget to**** rate and**** review!**

**Page 13**


	20. Chapter 20

**Something New**

Chapter 20: finally, graduation

Koomahana

**Okay you know how in cannon all the girls like Sasuke because he was 'mysterious'? Well that's kind of the same idea I have going on for Ami, except the boys are a whole lot more observant then the girls and keep their distance and they certainly don't gush and scream over her like the girls do over the Sasuke**** (that's still a thing by the way)**

**Well, that's my idea, I have no idea if that's how it came out so please tell me if you have any suggestions! **

**Have fun with the new capture! XD**

**Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine; you want the real stuff get off this site**

_Thoughts_

_Paragraphs are memories_

…

* * *

…

When they were ten, two years after the haruno murder, Sakura Uzumaki left the village with Tsunade Senju for a four year training expedition with the older blonde, becoming her next apprentice and adopted daughter at the same time. Naruto became Jiraiya's apprentice, though legally he was still under Kakashi Hatake's custody. Sasuke still visited his childhood friend every chance he got, practically living at the Hatake residence; he was even taking a few lessons from the older man on occasion, though when Itachi asked if he wanted to train with him, the older white haired man was easily left in a cloud of dust. Sasuke and Naruto quickly became the top most liked students of the academy; Sasuke became the top of their class though not without having to fight Ami every step of the way and Naruto was still the class clown but he was smarter than most students and he virtually never lost a taijutsu match, being matched only by Sasuke… and beaten only by Ami. Ami retained the title of 'rooky of the year' and her parents couldn't be prouder of her but her obsession with training till she dropped and disappearing acts forced them to send her to counseling; unfortunately that seemed to put an even bigger wall between them. Ami treated her home as a simple place to crash when she needed to rest or eat, that was how focused she was to perfecting her chakra control and memorizing as many books as she could, even the faces in the bingo books when she got the chance. The teachers in the academy had noticed her silence in school and a few had tried to break her silence by calling on her in class, though eventually they grew used to it and began to leave her alone more and more often. The other students soon got used to her silence as well, each choosing to stay as far away as they could, though admittedly, that didn't stop the boys from ogling her every chance they got. Ami's outfit hadn't changed much from her childhood one; she still wore a backless, knee length pink dress but it had a pastel violet corset with darker purple strings in the back, she even wore black leggings to accommodate her black arm weights. She also grew out her hair and let it surround her in elegant silken strands, held back by a single crimson headband, she even wore little white feather earrings, and her neck was adorned with a little pink cherry blossom pendent, one small petal to the top right was actually bright red. When the weather got cold, she only pulled on a dark, almost black, purple coat and wore longer leggings, her feet would surprisingly remain in her little black strap heals regardless of the weather. Sasuke's and Naruto's out fits hadn't changed much from childhood either; Sasuke wore a navy blue T-shirt but kept his black slacks at the advise of his mother and Naruto had gotten into more then one fight with Kakashi about his obsession with orange, but in the end he was permitted to wear his neon orange 'I'm target practice!' Jumpsuit, on the condition that on missions he uses it as a decoy to escape danger.

Today it was exactly five years since the Haruno murder, everyone in Sakura's class was thirteen years old, even Naruto was thirteen and he was the youngest of the generation. Sasuke may have been the number one most sought after male of his class but it was Ami who had the undivided attention of every male in class, for the exception of the two friends of one dead little Haruno. The last day of the academy had everyone but to two boys present, of course Sasuke Uchiha was the first to return from whatever commotion he and his friend performed but that still didn't save him from a scolding when Iruka returned with a bound Uzumaki in hand.

"Alright everyone thank Sasuke and Naruto because now your all going to perform in a test," Iruka informed everyone with his hands on his hips, "so come down and form a line, Ami! That includes you, so put your book down!" The purple haired girl ignored him weather easily, his brow twitched and he threw a chalk stick at her, its speed increased with a light touch of chakra. Ami lifted a finger and stopped it in its tracks, her own light touch of chakra kept it from falling as she raised her eyes from her book and looked expectantly at Iruka, as if he was annoying her during a very important project.

"I said get down here young lady," Iruka ordered, Ami sighed as if disappointed and closed her book as she stood and made her way down to the main floor of the classroom, separating herself from the other students. Iruka sighed at the A-typical behavior from the midnight haired girl but returned to calling his other students forward to perform in the transformation jutsu.

"Ami Yanagi, it's your turn," Iruka called, looking at the girl expectantly, "you don't have to put your book down but please participate in this test for once." Ami didn't look at him as she turned a page in her book, earning another sigh from Iruka, "Ami this test goes towards your graduation tests, it helps me determine weather or not your ready to graduate."

"You say that every time Umino-sensei," Ami murmured, as if speaking to him was too much distraction from her book, "yet I'm still here."

"Because Yaman—" Iruka flinched and stepped back, his sentence cut short at the furious glare he was receiving from Ami, a glare with enough hate and disgust to create a demon all on its own. "Perform in this test or I'll be forced to disqualify you from the final tests, Ami-san."

"Iruka-sensei, maybe she can't perform the transformation technique," Naruto popped up with his typical look of sarcasm and triumph, "I mean, why else would she refuse to do the technique?" Iruka held his breath as Ami cut her eyes at the blonde, she snapped her book shut and he was beginning to wonder if he should jump between them to stop the undeniable fight that would spring up between them again when a cloud of white dust enveloped the purple haired teen.

"Naruto-kun!" A high squeaky voice called put just before a cheerful pink haired girl jumped out of the cloud and tackled the blonde in a tight hug, "I missed you!" the pink haired girl was small and light, dressed a light weight crimson quipao dress with black leggings and her long rose colored locks were pulled back into an elegant braid that followed her around like a cat's tail.

"Ami!" Iruka barked, "that's not nice! Undo the transformation this instant!"

"Do you seriously think I would lower my self to touching the king of losers?" Ami asked, making her teacher realize that she had made a clone do the transformation for the taunt she threw at the blonde boy. Sasuke slammed a palm into the clone at the same time that Naruto pushed her away, dispersing the clone into bubbles of water, surprising Iruka as the water hurried away to reform Ami general shape but without the color.

"Happy now?" Ami asked, lifting her right arm, the humanish figure returned to a gloating blob before flying back to her and diving straight into her arm warmer.

"Yanagi," Sasuke snarled at her, stepping towards her with a frowning Naruto right behind him

"You going to do as your told or just glare at me all day?" Ami questioned dully, "if your not careful you'll be held back another year." The two friends were nearly growling at her like furious animals, their bodies shaking as their hands trembled at their sides.

"Sasuke, its your turn for the transformation," Iruka sighed, disappointment filling his voice, the Uchiha ground his teeth together but turned towards his teacher and quickly performed his transformation. After being dismissed by Iruka he went to the end and watched Naruto perform his own transformation justu, nearly getting his rear kicked by every female in the class while he was at it.

"Pathetic," Ami drawled carelessly, silencing the scolding from Iruka, "that's perfectly useless against a kunochi idiot, why don't do your homework like a real ninja?"

"F*** you Ami!" Naruto screamed at her, "at least I don't bring up ghosts!" Unlike Sasuke, the blonde didn't realize that she had given him a piece of advise, though it was delivered in an orthodox way, she did give him a tip on his technique that he properly wouldn't notice until it was too late.

"I don't bring up ghosts, idiot," Ami grinned at him over her shoulder, the wind pushing her hair up to dance past her like a curtain, "I reveal nightmares." She was out the window before Iruka could stop her, leaving the class in a dark depressed mood.

"Alright, after this test we'll go over the basics of the main test being held tomorrow," Iruka said, trying to distract his students, "come on cheer up everyone," He smiled patting Naruto's head before sending him to the end of the line, "Ino, your turn."

The blond stepped forward silently, dully teal eyes shadowed by her long unbound platinum hair

…

* * *

…

Mizuki sighed as he rubbed irritably at the back of his neck, once again Iruka had him helping him search out another way word student, typically iruka could find all of his students but this one had a tendency of disappearing in plane sight. Once again Ami Yanagi was acting like a little demon in the making, as if everyone around her were beneath her; not like she saw herself as better then everyone, just that she hasn't met anyone who was even close to being a challenge for her. Once again the girl insulted the most popular boy in school and once again she disappeared from the school grounds, Iruka was off checking the graveyard Ami visited weekly and Mizuki was tasked to visit all the training grounds closest to the academy. Unfortunately for him that included the lake close to the Uchiha compound, he didn't particularly like them and he knew that they didn't like him, not that he actually cared what they thought. As he approached the lake he heard the familiar sounds of metal clashing, fearing the diligent but rude Ami Yanagi had once again offended an Uchiha clan member, Mizuki hurried to the lake side. Upon reaching the edge of the tree line, Mizuki was greeted by the sight of a familiar Chunin sitting on the edge of the pier, looking relaxed and amused as he watched several dark forms battle towards the center of the lake.

"Iruka!" Mizuki called racing towards him, "what are you doing?! Ge—"

"No Mizuki! Don't touch the water!" Iruka called but his warning was too late, Mizuki had already stepped into the surface. Immanently the surface ripped as if in agitation before suddenly sending a spinning spindle of water at Mizuki, nearly piercing his right foot before he had the chance to retreat, luckily though he was able to pull his foot back just in time to save his toes.

"Damn," Mizuki hissed, glaring down at his saddle that now had one very ugly hole on the tip just a hair's breath from his big toe.

"Mizuki, over here!" Iruka called, waving one hand through the air, "stay on land and you'll be safe!" Mizuki grumbled curses under his breath as he marched across the shore, glaring heatedly at the spinning trendel of water that moves back and forth as if searching for something before disappearing back beneath the surface of the lake.

"Are you alright?" Iruka asked when his friend actually reached him

"I'll have to replace my shoes but other wise I'm unharmed," Mizuki replied tartly, "why can't we get out to her, isn't she in trouble?"

"Oh no, she's just practicing her control," Iruka answered, amusement sounding in his voice, "she usually comes her when she's annoyed or angry."

"If you knew where she was, why did you have me looking for her?" Mizuki asked, irritated with his friend

"I'm sorry, I thought you went back to the academy already," Iruka answered with an embarrassed smile, "I know we're a bit close to the Uchiha compound, that's why I thought you wouldn't get so close to the lake." Mizuki sighed but couldn't refute his answer, its not like they were mind readers or anything.

"Ah, look at that Mizuki," Iruka called, turning to the lake and smiling, "she finished early, guess she's calmed down enough now." Mizuki looked out towards the lake, surprised at the amount of mist covering its surface, amplifying the sound of feather soft foot steps. Slowly appearing in the thick rolling mist was the dark shadow of a mirage, approaching like a ghost whispering in the dark of night. Slowly the mirage cleared to show the figure if a woman and then Mizuki realized with startling celerity that it was Ami who was walking on the surface of the water as if she was a ghost from centuries past. Her pink dress was replaced with a black backless turtle neck dress that ended just shy of the middle if her legs, letting her black leggings stretch endlessly down to just beneath her knees, over her shoulders was a thick plane black leather jacket.

"Ami," Iruka greeted as the purple haired girl stopped on the water directly in front of him, standing atop the surface as if nothing in the world was wrong. "Do you feel better now?"

"...Why are you here Umino-sensei?" She asked, eyes shadowed as she kept staring at his feet

"Its been decided that tomorrow is graduation day," Iruka answered her calmly, "would you like to go first in the tests?"

"Dose it impact my scoring?"

"I guess not," Iruka chuckled standing to his full height on the peer, "alright then, lets get you home then. Your mother asked me to walk you home when I found you." Ami frowned at him but nodded, stepping onto the pier with Iruka's help, she walked past Mizuki without looking at him. As they started to walk away, leaving Mizuki behind, the student and teacher were unaware of the deranged grin spreading over the pale sky-blue haired man's face.

…

* * *

…

Kakashi sighed as he watched the two boys arguing over another pathetic excuse of a clone, Naruto was trying to learn how to lesson the amount of chakra he used in his clones and Sasuke was trying to convince him to make more clones but using the same amount of chakra that the blonde was already using.

"Hay guys," Kakashi called, wincing in sympathy as Sasuke slammed a fist into Naruto's head, "why not just ask another kid in your class to help you?"

"Like who?" Naruto asked, rubbing at his head and glaring at Sasuke as if he was thinking about hitting him in retaliation.

"Well... who has the best chakra control in class?"

"No/ I'd rather die!" The two boys snapped at the same time, Naruto being the significantly louder of the two

"Huh? Is there something wrong with them?" Kakashi asked in bewilderment

"She's evil!" Naruto shouted at him

"I doubt she'll help Naruto without a fight occurring multiple times," Sasuke said with a frown

"Is there anyone in your class that Naruto doesn't fight with?" Kakashi asked blandly, "the final test is tomorrow. You better figure out someone to help you or your just going to end up flunking, _again._" The boys frowned in thought, remaining silent on the matter, earning an irritated sigh from Kakashi. "Alright, who is it that you refuse to work with now?"

"...Ami Yanagi," Sasuke said as if the name left a bad taste in his mouth

"Well go ask her anyways," Kakashi drawled, stepping away from the back porch of his home and walking towards the kitchen, "or do you want to remain in the Academy for the rest of your life?" The boys groaned and whined at him but he ignored them as he snapped the door closed and stared blankly at growing darkness greeting him for the night. He recognized the young girl's name and remembered that her father and mother were divorced (still living together because neither one could afford a place of their own), her mother had actually switched Ami's and her own surnames to her maiden name of 'Yanagi' (granted Ami was unaware of the change since she was four when it happened). Tetsuo Kyuushigi is Ami's father, he was once a famed Chunin, strong in the elemental arts as if he's been using it for centuries. Sadly his shinobi licenses was revoked when his oldest child died on a mission with him, his retirement was made permanent when Tetsuo started drunken fights with his equally drunk wife.

Ami Yanagi was their only daughter

She was also the bully to Sakura who wasn't as cold and heartless as everyone first thought her to be. She was the only bully at the funeral and the only child there crying hysterically on their mother as if they hadn't cried since they were born. She was also the only academy student who snuck past the Anbu guards after Sakura's 'mental break' and checked up on the pinkette herself.

"Come on dube, we don't have a choice anymore," Sasuke called from the yard, "lets go ask Ami and get it over with."

"What if she says no?" Naruto asked

"She lives close to the Hyūga's, we'll just go to Hinata for help," Sasuke shrugged, Naruto groaned but followed hid friend anyways.

_Good luck boys,_ Kakashi thought, _you'll need it in that house_

It didn't take them as long as they thought to arrive at the Yanagi house, all they did was follow the sounds of Ami's voice screaming over her patent's voices and they eventually found the house she lived in. Sasuke and Naruto both cringed at the sound of broken glass crashing against a wall, quickly followed by the voice if a woman screaming curses at the one who threw it. The sounds of argument were so loud that the neighbor came out to knock on the door but stopped at the sound of Ami's voice shouting at someone inside, the old woman sighed as if disappointed and then tucked herself behind the wall of flowers separating their two homes. Sasuke and Naruto both took in deep breaths and approached the house, Sasuke raised his hand to knock but was stopped short.

"You stupid, ugly ass old man!" Ami's voice echoed out to them, "why don't you go get lost in another bottle?!" She opened the door and stopped short, her brown eyes widening in surprise as she stared at her two classmates on the other side of her door.

"Ai~i! Whos~s kere?!" A male voice shouted from inside

"Do you want to die?" Ami hissed, bracing herself against the door, "leave!" She slammed the door shut before they had a chance to respond, "It's no one you damn drunk!"

"Dos~s tell me *hick* that!" The man slurred, "I~s knows a chi~ika *hick* when I~s ees~s one!" Suddenly the two boys were soaking wet and laying in the bushes beside the door, out of sight of the man who slammed the door open and glared drunkenly out at the dark street beyond. "Eird," the man mumbled, "s~ore I~s elt 'em here..." He closed the door with a frown to himself, "shu-ut it Ai-i! Yours~ grou-ow-end! Go *hich* your ooms!"

"When am I not grounded?!" Ami screamed at him, her feet sounding oddly loud against the stair case as she ran up to her room

"Dosn't yell at Ami!" A woman screamed from inside, sounding not quite as drunk as the male

"Sh~ut up!"

"Dos't ell me to do!"

"I cas too!"

"cans'not!"

"No wonder she's so cold," Sasuke murmured, Naruto only made a soft sound of agreement, both were suddenly understanding her personality. They watched numbly as an old woman bent over them, a soft smile on her face as she placed a woven basket at their heads and silently walked away. Before either boy could say anything, the balcony overhead opened up and an old rope dropped down, stopping just inches away from Sasuke's nose. Ami's face appeared over the edge before she ducked back in, her voice echoing through the house as she told her father to shut up again. Taking the distraction, Naruto climbed up first as Sasuke grabbed the basket and hurried after him, jumping over the edge and pulling the rope up just as the man opened the door again.

"What are you idiots doing here?" Ami asked as she kicked a few books across her floor to make a path for them to walk through

"I was wondering if you could help me with the clone jutsu," Sasuke answered, hoping that her old crush was still effective in manipulating her into what he wanted her to do

"That's the worst lie that's fallen out of your face since you 'accidentally' put Kiba in a genjutsu two years ago," Ami drawled unimpressed with his answer, "let me guess, the king of losers _still_ can't perform the basic clone jutsu."

"Shut it Ami," Naruto hissed at her, "you weren't my first choice!"

"You idiot, keep your voice d—"

"Ai~i! Who's *hich* us~z there i~th you?"

"Damn it," Ami snarled, "no one! Your drunk!" She slammed open her closet and gestured for the two boys to get in, Sasuke entered quickly and then was forced to slap a hand over Naruto's mouth as Ami literally shoved the blonde into the closet and closed the door quietly. Just in time to have her bedroom door open. "What the hell old man?! I'm changing here!" Ami screamed at him, her father cursed and stumbled over his words before slamming her door closed with a slurred order to get to bed. Sasuke and Naruto remained still as Ami fumbled around her room for a moment before she opened the closet door and helped Naruto up to his feet.

"Keep your voice down idiot or he'll be back," Ami hissed at him, she grabbed a cloak and pulled it on over her shoulders, "if I'm gonna help you I'm spending the night at your place."

"Why?" Naruto asked, only to stifle a yelp as Ami threw a bag into his face

"My father hates you, you idiot," Ami snarled, "I still can't beat him in a no holding back fight so this place isn't safe, now lets go!"

"Ami dear?" The three froze as Ami's mother opened the door, staring in surprise at the near identical older Ami standing in the doorway, the only difference being her bright lavender eyes. Naruto and Sasuke stiffened, thinking she would scream and attack but she didn't, the woman only smiled gently at them, as if nothing was wrong with them being in her daughter's room. "You have a test tomorrow dear, don't forget to get up early."

"Yes mama," Ami nodded, nearly throwing Naruto off her balcony, "I'll see you tomorrow." Sasuke quickly pulled Naruto over the edge and started running full tilt away from the house, cringing as Ami's mother started another screaming fest with her husband. The two boys looked behind themselves and saw that Ami was a lot closer to them then they first thought, suddenly they were wondering why she was so quiet, she was running as fast as them but they couldn't hear a single step from her.

"Idiot, were do you live?" Ami asked sharply

"F-Follow me," Naruto answered and the three disappeared into the darkness of the night. Ami was soon impressed with how close the two boys actually lived to her own home, she was even more impressed learning that they lived with Kakashi Hatake. Standing in the back yard of the Hatake residence, Ami observed the the small waterfall and pond beneath the baby cheery blossom tree, the pond was a healthy size, easily fifteen by twenty and at least six to eight feet deep. It was just perfect for her meditation practices in the mornings, the large pool was even big enough for a few of her chakra control practices too, she was just thinking about asking Kakashi if she could start doing her morning practices here when she heard the sound of a clone popping into existence, followed by Sasuke's stifled laughter. Taking in deep breath to prepare herself for the nightmare behind her, Ami turned around to look at the boneless, colorless clone laying on the dark grass like a half finished marionette.

"What the hell is that?" Ami asked

"You don't have to sound so disgusted," Naruto pouted at her

"Dispel it," Ami sighed in disappointment, walking forward until she could put a hand on Naruto's back, "face Sasuke and make another clone." Naruto pursed his lips but did as instructed, forming the hand signs he tried to create another clone. However the icy cold feeling of antibiotics distracted Naruto and he was unable to perform the technique, preferring to yelp and jump away from Ami.

"What the hell is your problem now idiot?" Ami grouched at him, "you want my help or not?"

"Your chakra is like ice!" Naruto whined loudly

"No it isn't," Ami huffed, "now focus or I can't help you." Naruto grumbled under his breath but returned to standing in front of Ami, trying not to shiver at the feel of her chakra slipping just beneath the warmth of his skin. Ami frowned and closed her eyes, envisioning the feel of Sakura's chakra, what little she did remember from the blast so long ago. Sasuke watched, his eyes glaring bright blinding red, as Naruto relaxed under Ami's warmer signature, the blonde slowly formed the required hand signs for the illusion clone.

His clone didn't appear any different from the first time

"You're an even bigger idiot then I thought," Ami sighed, pulling her hand away from him and ignoring the put Naruto gave her, "you're using only your physical energy, none of the other two."

"Other two?" Sasuke questioned, his crimson gaze falling back into onyx black once more, "I thought we only had two chakra energies, not three?"

"If we only had two sources of energy how would we have elemental preferences?" Ami asked as she walked to the large pool under the cherry blossom tree, she stepped out onto the surface without noticing the bewildered looks of the two boys. She formed two hand signs and the water rose into her hands, forming a nearly perfectly flat almost mirror perfect disk of water, she turned to the two boys and placed her hands in equal places over and under the almost mirror like disk. "Every human being is born with chakra, most know it as physical energy and spiritual energy. They know it as this because these two are the easiest energies to explain to someone learning about chakra for the first time." As she talked the disk split into two tomoe mirroring the other, as if rotating around each other lazily, then a third tomoe formed between the original two, invading their space as if it always belonged there. "However our bodies and souls are not the source of our elemental powers as different as they are to each of us. The third energy everyone has that is a little less well known is the natural or elemental energy that resides in each of us, this section is what allows us to perform elemental Ninjutsu."

"Wait, I'm confused here," Sasuke interrupted, "we're always told about the two and how to grow them, exercise for physical energy and knowledge for spiritual energy, how do we grow elemental energy?"

"You don't," Ami answered, "the amount of chakra you have now is the same amount of chakra you've always had, even at the moment of your birth. The only thing that's changed since then is the amount of control you have over your chakra."

"...I don't get it," Naruto dead panned, cocking his head to the side, Ami closed her eyes and sighed

"Everyone is given a set amount of internal energy, some like Naruto have unbelievable amounts that are next to impossible to control," Naruto beamed at the complement but didn't actually listened to the last part, "others are like Sasuke, an impressive but slightly difficultly controlled amount of energy. And then there are people like Sakura and my self." Ami stopped speaking, staring passively at the sharp looks from the two boys, as if they were daring her to continue that sentence, "what? Do you two want me to insult her? I don't care for demeaning the dead idiots." They frowned and glared but settled their tempers back down again, letting Ami continue with her lesson.

"As I was saying, some are like your pink haired friend," Ami rolled her eyes at their passive reactions, "where their given amount is so small one can barely feel it in a crowed of people. One's chakra dose not _grow_, only one's _control_ over their internal energies grows; that's why the leaf swirl was so important in class."

"What's that?" Naruto asked

"Weren't you paying attention idiot?' Ami hissed at him, looking like she might hit him

"I meant the leaf swirl, I never heard of it before," Naruto explained quickly

"Its a chakra control exercise," Ami told him, sighing as if irritated, "do you remember Umino-sensei giving us leafs to hold on our fingers to practice controlling our chakra?"

"...uh, yeah, sure," Naruto answered not looking at her, Ami gave Sasuke a look and the boy sighed as he snatched a leaf from the air as it fell towards the earth. Without saying anything, Sasuke held out his pointer finger and showed Naruto the gently spinning, carefully hovering leaf on the very tip if his finger. "Oh yeah! I remember that! It was so boring I skipped class and pranked the principal's office!"

"I should've guessed," Ami sighed heavily, "anyways, without our elemental energy we would be able to do that or anything related to the elements."

"...I can't imagine my life without fire," Sasuke murmured to himself, looking like he might be sick

"Pyro frantic," Naruto snickered

"Enough, focus you two," Ami barked, stopping the fight before it began, "look at this Naruto." He looked up at his name, half wide eyed because she said his name for once and half because the water tomoe with the kanji for 'body' on it was growing, shrinking the other two until he could barely see the drops of water for soul and elemental. "This is how much chakra you use for your illusion clone jutsu, literally all bronze and no brains."

"That's mean Ami," Naruto pouted at her, she ignored him easily

"This is what most people's illusion clones look like," Ami informed them patiently, the body Tomoe and spirit Tomoe evened out for the most part, the tomoe representing the physical energy was slightly larger then its spiritual counter part and the elemental tomoe might as well as disappeared for its tiny size. "Most people have to use a lot of chakra and just as much if not more effort to pull off the illusion clone. Naruto your using too much physical energy and effort, that's why you have the shape but no color or life to it."

"Oh okay, how do I not do that?" Naruto asked

"Don't be stupid," Ami barked at him, "most people end up with colorful blobs! Myself included!" The boys blinked in surprise at her words, they never realized it took her so much effort to make illusion clones; they always thought she was a natural at illusions. Ami sighed and put the water tomoe shapes back into the pool, rubbing at the back of her neck Ami stepped off the pool and approached the boys slowly. "Close your eyes and focus on my words," Ami ordered, the two boys shared a look and did as instructed, "imagine your image being taken by a camera, now take that image and put it in a copy machine, at the top right hand corner of the machine are several buttons ranging from zero to nine with a green go button above. Press the number of copies you want made, then press the green button to print. Remember the ink is the energy inside of you, don't forget to apply it."

She couldn't further in her instruction before she and the original two boys were engulfed in a cloud of white smoke

"What the," Ami coughed and hacked repeatedly, waving one hand in front of her face to move the dust from her eyes and nose.

"What'd ya think Ami?" She stepped back, squinting and coughing, when she was able to see what was in front of her, all she could see was a wall of navy blue and five other perfectly colored Naruto's all standing smugly in front of her.

"I see Sasuke increased his previous number of clones," Ami observed dully, she turned to look at Naruto and blinked slowly. "...At least they look human now," however Naruto wasn't listening to her, he dived straight for Sasuke and their A-typical fist fight once again commenced. Ami sighed as they yelled and tumbled around on the ground, kicking up dist and bits of dirt, making them appear to be about six and fighting in the sand box-again. True to Ami's observation, Naruto's illusion clones did appear more like him, the four's bodies were stable in appearance and their color improved immensely. However, they were two dimensional, looking more like card board cut outs then an actual human being, even the moon light gleamed off them like it would on a large advertising build board.

"Keep practicing Naruto," Ami drawled, turning away from the fight and walking away, "I'm sure you'll get it... Eventually."

"That ain't right Ami!" Naruto screamed at her, mistaking the amusement in her voice for mockery instead of the acknowledgment she meant it as.

"Focus loser!" Sasuke shouted, landing a solid punch to Naruto's face

_I'm not sure to be proud or depressed,_ Kakashi thought, watching the girl disappear into the night as the boys remained bickering like six year olds.

…

* * *

…

**Sorry for taking so long, I didn't have the faintest clue on how to continue **

**I've been working hard on it so I hope you liked it because I'm already half way through the next chapter**

**I'll try to post it as soon as I can but Immortal's Daughter is nearing its Main Climax and I might just end up focusing on that the most after this… maybe, I'm not sure yet **

**Please don't forget to tell me your thoughts!**

**Page 12**


	21. Chapter 21

**Something New**

Chapter 21: a sea of traitors

Koomahana

**Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine; you want the real stuff get off this site**

_Thoughts_

_Paragraphs are memories_

…

* * *

…

The night was cool and crisp, the stars sparkled like diamonds, the leafs dancing on the wind like children playing games, even the moon seemed bright and cheerful as it smiled down on the village he loved so much. He sat on his porch staring up at the moon, Sake bottle in hand and another empty tree to his left, explaining the bright red tint to his cheeks.

His home was empty, empty of his wife, empty of his daughter… empty of his son…

His son… the child with onyx hair and perfectly shined jade eyes, he had wolfish features despite belonging to the clan of 'dragons' or so they were so named centuries ago; all because their clan techniques revolved around the use of dragons. Fire dragons, water dragons, earth dragons, mud dragons, if it had a 'dragon' in its name, they had mastered it; there were even rumors of their clan having contracts with dragons summonings but those were practices long since forgotten. His family was called the 'dragon tamers' in the time before the Shodaime assertion and now they were called no more, his clan having dwindled down into the single digits as time passed and wars raged. Now he knew of no relatives outside of his own parents, who had died in the last war. His children were his only chance at rebuilding his clan but his son died and his daughter hated his guts, not that he blamed her. Being a girl there was little he could teach her of their family arts, the 'female dragons' fought in a different manner then the 'male dragons'. Not even his mother was willing to teach neither him nor his wife the secret arts of her special style, she promised to teach his daughter should he ever have one but then she died three years before his son did. In fact, because he was male he was forced to learn everything from a scroll, a scroll created by one of his elder male ancestors who made the law of their men fighting in a different manner then the woman. The men fought like oceans and tornadoes while the women fought like hurricanes and rivers, it was his hope that their women would never be sullied by being stolen and sold so the learned to protect themselves and their children, that was their soul and only purpose.

'Never let it said that a female dragon was easy to tame,' that was what his ancestor wished for their family to be known for, their women who fought tooth and nail for freedom, for their clan who never gave up and never quite, stubborn to the very core of their soul.

He wanted more than anything to teach his daughter but her hatred of him and his loyalty to his mother prevented him from breaking the law and teaching her the male dragon secret arts. He wished he could but it was forbidden in the Kyuushigi clan, even if he was the last of the male line he could not dishonor his mother and father by teaching the male arts to his female child. It would be the same as wishing that his son was still alive or telling her that he wished she was a boy, she would feel shame for being born a woman and that wasn't something he wanted her to feel. She should be proud to be a woman, proud to be a kunochi, proud to be a dr—

"Tetsuo?" he flinched at the whisper soft voice, as if his wife was afraid to disturb him

"…What?" he asked, lowering his saki cup to listen

"There's a commotion outside, shouldn't you go see what it is?" she asked, he sighed and slumped against the back porch beam, hazy eyes still locked onto the beautiful starry sky high over head

"Is it tonight?" he asked

"What?" she questioned, tilting her head to the side curiously, a trickle of fear wavering her signature

"Is it tonight that you're going to tell me who you really are?" he asked, he could sense the surprise in her chakra, the flicker of doubt and insecurity. "I married you for more than the mask you wore for me and our children; I married you because you were the strongest kunochi I ever came across. You could try to hide your face behind that deceptively sweet cat mask but I memorize chakra signatures, I knew who you were the moment we met."

"…You knew?" she asked, betrayal in her voice and regret in her chakra, "all these years… you knew?"

"You were the same kunochi who took out my brother during the war," he replied, "the cat masked kunochi of Kumo. We came dangerously close to crossing blades a few times during the war... And then one day I got to see your face, during that festival twenty years ago... Do you remember that day?"

"You had a broken arm," she smiled in remembrance, fondness and affection flowing through her and into him, "one dango stick in your mouth and another two in hand."

"I dropped them all just to catch up to you," Tetsu chuckled, "I told you my name immanently... You hesitated though..."

"You weren't yet my mission," she mumbled, regret, sorrow and acceptance echoing in her chakra, "I didn't stand a chance did I?" A mixture of fear and joy; she was scared because he knew, because he sought her out, because he chose her; and joy because he accepted her and loved her for who she was.

"Nope," Tetsuo smiled at the night sky, "I fell for you the second I saw you."

"On the battle field?" She asked in surprise

"In the village festal," he corrected, "I never actually saw you before that but I did sense your chakra signature a few times." An indescribable sense of joy and happiness washed over him, relief from a heavy burden lifted off her shoulders, a swelling of emotion to great to name and it made his chocolate eyes fill with water because he knew what would have to happen next and it broke his heart to force her hand.

"Your friends are waiting," he whispered, realization, fear, regrettable acceptance, all washed over her like a wave breaking on the coast, reminding her of her sworn duty and the twenty-some-odd year mission she was still participating in. "You better hurry," He set his hands wide apart on the floor of the porch, head bowed in acceptance, "your the only one left who can protect her...our child..."

"Of course," the small thin blade slid between his ribs and into his heart, "I would never hurt her..."

"I know," he whispered as he leaned back into her embrace, his head sliding down onto her lap, giving him the perfect view of her water jade eyes and over flowing waves of perfectly plum hair. He raised a hand and let it stroke her pale cheek, she lifted one hand and held it in place, he smiled at her trying to reassure her that she did nothing wrong. He did what he did to protect her, Kumo was not a safe village for families, it took children from their homes and forced them to become shinobi, there was no option for them. If Kumo was going to take his daughter regardless of what he did, then he would allow his wife to strike him down so that she may live and protect their only living child.

"I love you," he whispered as his vision bled black and his wife was stained with his blood

"Natsuki Kawayama," she whispered to him, stroking his still smiling face, "my name is Natsuki..." _I love you too_

_Thu-thump, cla-clack_

It was her only warning before one of her old subordinates spoke behind her

"Nekage-sama it is time," the man called out to her in the dark of her home, "your child is already heading towards her designated location."

"Do you have my mask?" She asked, trying to memorize her husband's face before death drew out the last of his color

"I brought everything Nekage-sama..." Something was off with his voice, taking in a deep breath, she pulled away from Tetsuo and stood to her full height

"What is it?" She demanded more then questioned, snatching her mask out of his hands and pulling it on quickly

"You loved him," her second in command murmured, her green eyes glinted like daggers behind her mask, then without warning her foot was smashing into his face, cracking his mask.

"I killed my parents as traitors for the Raijage," she snarled the reminder at him, "I killed my own son for disobeying the Raikage, and I have killed my husband to prove my loyalty to Raikage-sama, who else do I have to kill to prove my loyalty?!"

"No one my lady," he said pushing himself up and dusting his front off, "you spent nearly thirty years with him, its understandable that eventually even you, the queen of our storms, fell in love with their king of dragons." She watched as he patted his hands together and turned his back to her, "panther and jaguar are trailing your girl, you better hurry up and change."

"Who are they?" She demanded, "I've never given such names to anyone!"

"Alot of things change in thirty years," he replied, "they joined the ranks ten years ago...I doubt you'll like them very much."

"If they hurt Ami, they'll be the first I kill," Natsuki snarled like the cat her mad portrayed her as

_I don't know if even you can handle them,_ he thought, listening her remove her housewife attire and begin to done the clothing she once wore as their queen of storms. Despite his thoughts, he knew that if she did kill them, he would be the next one she killed, because he was the one who sent them after her daughter. Even if nearly thirty years passed since they last spared, and just as long since she last dared to use her chakra, he doubted in his own ability to take her on.

The queen of storms was not known for mercy because one dose not tame the seas with a spoon, if she chose to attack there would be nothing he could do to stop her

…

She ran through the dark streets of her village, frustration, fear and terror, all fueling her speed through the darkness.

_Please_, she thought, using her momentum to sling shot herself around a corner by slapping her hands around a light pole and swinging around the corner without losing speed

_Please,_ She jumped, spun, twisted, and latched herself onto the edge of a building, pulling herself over it before the patrol could see her

_Please,_ she raced past the roofs, her black cloak hiding her from any wondering eyes, heading towards the familiar giant building painted blinding crimson

_Please Hokage-sama,_ she skidded across the top of a roof, hiding behind the top edge perfectly, _send a fake!_ So far nothing, only the dark carpet of the room was seeable, not even the lights were on.

"Hokage-sama," she whispered fearfully

_"Now remember this cute little face brat," the man laughed, shoving the little picture into her face, "her life is in your hands, as well as few others." The picture depicted a short haired little violet eyed girl in dirty, torn clothes, clearly beaten and abused, thick metal shackles wrapped around her ankles and wrists. She took the stack of pictures from him and flipped through them, her face paling as she found pictures of her classmates, her weak aunt, mother, father, severs other young children she knew from her visit years ago to her mothers family home, as well as a few pictures of a few younger children from her Academy._

_The last image she stopped at was of the night she was teaching Naruto his illusion clone technique, she was standing between the blonde and his friend, smirk in place and eyes closed as if amused_

_"Oh yeah that one, he's your second and less important target," the man said, glancing at the image she was staring at, "honestly it would be nice if you killed him too but it really doesn't matter."_

_"'Too'?" She questioned, her voice cracking with the word, "who else do you want me to kill?"_

_"The Hokage,"_

_Please send a clone!_ Ami begged inside her mind, watching fear and terror as the light flipped on

_Please!_ Time seemed to slow down

_Please!_ The edge of a dark skirt entered her vision

_Please send a clone!_ White robes crossed the edge of the window, followed by the familiar old figure of her Hokage, the man who visited her during her very first attempts to water walk, and then taught her the water clone, teaching her how to increase her chakra control through safer means that didn't involve her feinting from exhaustion every day.

_No!_ She screamed inside, dropped down below the edge, _master no! _She warned him, using the very special Chanel he taught her, a communication line directly to him, no one could intercept it or distract the currier.

He had to have gotten her warning by now, it was the only way for him to know the ideal room for her to attack him from outside. Did he trust her that much with his life? No, it had to be a clone, a substitute, a special technique unique to him, it had too be. He wouldn't blindly trust her with his life, he didn't even know what attack she was going to use

It had to be a clone! There was no other option!

She grabbed a kunai and jumped to her feet, she rose it high, spun it on her finger and readied to throw it throw the window at her kage

_"Now that's an interesting technique," she gasped looked up in surprise at her some times teacher standing just behind her, "what are you going to name it?"_

_"I-I don't know," she answered, blushing as she looked back down at the small little wobbly looking arrow floating between her hands, "I'm trying to think of what I can use it for... It's so small I doubt it'll be even a distraction."_

_"Maybe you should focus on your chakra control more before you try practicing with water shapes and their many, many uses," he chuckled, "I know a little trick you can practice when you have the time."_

_"Really?" She gasped, "can you teach me?!"_

_"Of course child," he smiled, patting her head affectionately_

His voice echoed in her mind as she slammed her back into the small wall of the roof, curling into a ball as kunai clattered noisily against the cement roof, her hands wrapped around her arms, her head braced against her knees as she shook violently in her fear.

_I can't do it,_ she thought, sobbing as she trembled in her place,_ What if I'm wrong? What if he didn't take me seriously? What if I hurt him?!_

The image of her mother and father laughing together, one of the few moments they were sober and not fighting about something

_I'm a monster!_ She sobbed, curling up into a little ball, there was no other word to describe someone who would willing give up their own family (their entire family tree) to spare one old man. Even now as she rocked herself against the cold stone of the roof, she could hear her sometimes teacher's voice echoing in her mind, fondness and affection filling every word. He taught her how to get a better handle on her chakra, how to control it almost perfectly, showing her and teaching her how to perfect her control and then giving her books made by his female student Tsunade, books dedicated to perfecting one's chakra control. He taught her how to walk on water and up trees and how to hold water between her hands as if it belonged there, every water technique she knew, she knew because he taught it to her. He was patient and kind and gave her the books and scrolls she didn't have access to and even prepared training schedules for her to go through so she wouldn't sleep through her academy classes. He made sure she didn't die from chakra exhaustion, made sure she was practicing correctly, moving her chakra the correct way, using it adequately without hurting her coils.

He was there when no one else was

When she feinted four years ago in the middle of class, he was there when she woke up, looking as disappointed as any grandfather could. Just looking at his face made her feel an inch tall, like she did some great crime she should've known better in doing; that was the same day he gave her the pendent she still wore, refusing to take it off no matter what happened. The small bright pink cherry blossom pendent with the little blood red petal on the top right side, dangling from a silver chain, it looked so silly and strange she could only stare at with blank eyes. He told her it belonged to Sakura's father, that he wore it every day and never took it off because it reminded him of his child, Sakura. He set it in her hand and stood up, intending to leave without saying anything else but when he reached that door he stopped, sighing heavily he whispered his last words to her and left her hospital room.

"_If you're scared speak up, if you're struggling ask for help, if you're lost call out, no matter what you say or do, someone will always be there for you."_

"I... I'm scared," she whimpered, "I don't know what to do. If I hurt him I betray my home, I'd have trained all these years for nothing. If I don't… my mother and father are going to die and after them the rest of mom's family are going to be massacred." she sniffed, whipping her hands against her cheeks, feeling like she was five years old and scrapped her knee for the first time, "I don't know what to do… someone, anyone, please help me."

A brush of warm air wrapped around her like a hug, whispering in her ear before disappearing

_An arrow strikes true?_ Ami thought, blinking through her tears and looking around herself curiously, sniffing she pulled herself away from the wall she was huddled up on and examined it closely. Right where her back had been pressed were several little pictures scratched into the surface of the little wall, depicting an arrow, a figure and what appeared to be a road. Looking over the edge of the wall, Ami saw a little cross in the road that matched the one on the road picture, the picture next to the little road was of an arrow, which was aimed at a stick figure.

_Is this a clue from Hokage-sama?_ Ami thought, comparing the pictures to the road and building in front of her, she remembered suddenly what the arrow could be. The year before last she was working on making shapes with water, one of them was an Arrow, if small it was pretty useless but if she made it big enough it could sail through the air and strike a grown man dead. But it required being of massive size, as thick as her arm and just as long, its arrow head had to be at least two feet wide as well; the arrow was more of a massive bolt the an arrow but it was the only one she came across that went long distances and threw targets.

Her Hokage had to have known that she was almost done with the technique, it was the only way to explain the images on the wall

_Please be a fake,_ Ami thought as she flipped over the edge and ran for the x on the ground, she slid into archer stance, her left hand rising from her hip and drawing water up with it as her left hand stopped perfectly level with her shoulder, her right hand stationed itself at the back of her left hand's knuckles before drawing back like she was pulling on the string of a bow.

_Please!_ She aimed

_Be a fake!_ She released the weapon, a shout sounding at the same time

_Hokage-sama!_ She watched the arrow desperately, suddenly the fear that it just might be her master instead of a clone settled over

Glass shattered

Screams echoed

Blood arced out of the building like a gazer

Her world stopped as realization dawned on her

The arrow hit its true mark

_"HOKAGE-SAMA!"_

…

* * *

…

The night was long and dark, Iruka was racing through the village as best as he could, trying not to slip on the cool ceramic tiles. He just received the emergency call, the loud echoing siren was defining to everyone in the village, waking many children from their sleep. He jumped from a low building, aiming for the higher landing were many other Chunin were standing together, wondering what was going on. He was half way up when he saw the Hokage and his councilors standing unusually close to one of the lower windows, hearing a sound below he habitually looked down at the ground. His heat nearly stopped at the sight of a small shadow standing in the middle of the road, a ghostly gleaming arrow held at the ready.

"No!" Iruka cried, his voice should've been enough warning to the councilors, enough warning to his Kage but it was as if the old man couldn't hear him.

The arrow hit its mark

"Hokage-sama!" Dozens of voices cried together, some echoing off the buildings around them. Iruka landed on the roof and skidded across the slick tiles to reach the broken window of the room containing the three highest ranked shinobi of the village. Hiruzen laid on the floor in a steadily growing pool of red, Homura had rolled him onto his back so his head would sit in her lap, Kohaku and Danzo were both kneeling beside him, trembling with blank looks signature to shock.

"The arrow was made from water," Homura murmured distractedly, ranking her trembling fingers through what little was left of her teammate's hair, "that's Jonin level chakra control..."

"Heh, should-a... took the warning s-seriously," Hiruzen gasped, smiling in amusement, "Iruka... Can you see who?" The Chunin snapped around his teeth grinding together as he watched helplessly as the archer danced around the dozen of Chunin attacking him, sweeping low and twisting behind his opponents like a Taijutsu master. Then two familiar Jonin jumped in, their Chunin flank jackets looking black in the low light of the street lamps, but it seemed they could do nothing as the black cloaked person evaded their strikes easily, sacrificing their cloak in favor of jumping away to land on a nearby light pole, safe from any potential harm.

"No," Iruka whispered, disbelief and betrayal sounding in his voice. "Ami..." Iruka murmured as Danzo stood and walked to the window, stopping beside the academy teacher to stare blankly at the figure drenched porcelain white moonlight, alighting her pastel violet and pink clothes to shine as if they were made from silk and light.

"Damn traitor!" A Chunin shouted, dropping down on Ami from behind

"No! Don't!" Iruka shouted but it was too late, a water serpent surrounded Ami, knocking the Chunin away easily, like a cat swapping a mouse into a wall. The Chunin coughed, pushing the bricks of the caved in fireplace chimney he landed in away to see Ami, still standing atop the light pole as if nothing happened.

"Damn," Iruka hissed in sympathy for the other chunin, "Ami's defensive strategy hasn't changed, still unnecessary powerful."

"Do you know her battle tactics?" Danzo questioned

"For the most part yeah, but..." Iruka frowned, "she's not acting like she usually dose...she should be moving right now but she's just standing there."

"How am I a traitor?" Ami questioned, glancing at the Chunin, "I am doing what you refuse to do."

"What are you talking about?!" The man asked loudly, "I would never harm Hokage-sama!"

"'We should kill him now while he's still weak,'" Ami repeated dully, eyes over shadowed by her bangs and headband, "'we never should've let him into the academy,' 'that little monster should die,' 'can you imagine what would happen if _he_ became a _ninja_?'" Then like hitting the final nail into a coffin she smirked back at him, placing one fing to her lips, "'shhh, we're not supposed to talk about it'." Realization hit the shinobi gathering around her like a ton of bricks, their fears were confirmed when the wind blew and her bangs were lifted, revealing the insignia of the hidden cloud village replacing her hidden leaf emblem.

"Thanks for the lose tongues you guys," Ami placed her hand onto a cocked hip, "it made finding your Jinchuriki so much easier."

"What are you going to do to Naruto?!" Iruka shouted, fear making his voice crack

"Didn't I already tell you? I'm going to kill him," Ami answered him calmly, her serpent wrapped itself around her shoulders hissing agitatedly at Iruka, "without your perfect little shield the next war will be a breeze for Hidden Cloud village and this time... We're going to win."

"I won't let you!" Azuma screamed at her from the ground, "None of us are going to let you near him!"

"Why not?" Ami questioned, "None if you want him, you all keep murmuring about how senile Hokage-sama is for not finishing what the Youndaime started. All you've ever done is mumble and complain, whining like children, none of you believe in Naruto, none you want him." Scorn, hatred and what almost looked like betrayal were in her eyes as she glared down at the shinobi gathering in the street, "None of you even stopped to teach him how to read or write! You just left him to learn on his own, abandoning him for something he couldn't stop if he tried! You blame him for the death of the Youndaine and of those who died trying to protect this village but if you got those sticks out if your ass's you'd realize that without Naruto the kiyobi would still be rampaging about today killing everyone insight for the hell of it!" Her voice grew and grew until she was shouting, anger and disappointment twisting her normally calm features, her dull brown eyes were blazing in anger, looking as if she was so angry she could cry.

"The Konoha I know isn't like that!" Ami screamed, "you want a monster?! Go look in the mirror!" Her serpent struck the Chunin out of the air from behind her with its tail and slammed head first into a Jonin kunochi who tried to hide behind a genjutsu to sneak up on the young Genin. The Chunin fell to the ground in boneless heaps and the kunochi was forced to fly through the air towards the ground with neck breaking speed, stopping only when another Jonin-Azuma-caught her.

"You okay Kurenai?" Azuma asked as Kakashi skid to a stop beside them

"I'll live," she answered, rubbing at her sore and bruised arms, where she caught most of the attack. "If that thing bared fangs I'd be dead," she mumbled, frowning at her wet arms

"If you landed you'd have died," Azuma corrected, turning to glare up at the young genin

"No the water was starting to wrap around me," Kurenai whispered, "She was trying not to hurt me. Knock me out maybe, no that wasn't a strike to kill... I bet she even crushed the Chunins falls too."

"You think there's more at stake here then what we're seeing?" Kakashi asked

"Uh-huh," Kurenai nodded

"What kind of assassin doesn't kill to get free?" Azuma asked

"I don't smell blood," Kakashi murmured just soft enough for them to hear him, "I think there's a story here... Maybe we should follow her lead..." The other two relaxed minutely at the information, glade their Kage was still possibly living, (especially Azuma).

"Ami," Iruka whispered, sitting back on his hunches and staring wide eyed at the young girl still standing on the light pole. _Even after every cruel word you've said, every merciless strike you gave him... You were the only one who truly saw him... That's why you're so angry with us, isn't it?_

"...Iruka," the Chunin turned at the voice, Hiruzen was growing paler by the second from the blood loss from the massive home in his chest, "find N-Naruto... she's not alone... protect him..."

"Yes sir," Iruka bobbed his head and disappeared quickly

"Ami!" Kakashi shouted drawing the young kunochi's attention, "what are you doing?! Why did you betray the leaf? After everything you did for Naruto, why—"

"Naruto is a threat to my village, I needed to earn his trust to get close to him," Ami answered coldly, stilling the Jonin. However, to Kakashi there was something off with her tone of voice, to him it sounded like an excuse or well rehearsed line; a speech she was forced to memorize.

"What are you talking about?! The hidden leaf is your village!" Kurenai shouted, only those close enough to Ami could see the heart broken smile on her face and the gathering of tears in her eyes. Those few who were close enough to Ami were then clued into something else, an old lesson resurfacing in their minds, a lesson they thought they mastered long ago.

Nothing is as it first appears

The expression confirmed the old classmates theory, something else was at work and Ami was the perfect little puppet for it to play out

"I will protect her," Ami murmured lifting a kunai up to a defensive position over her heart, "she doesn't deserve that life." She dropped down from the pole, her serpent arcing down and slamming into the ground like a tree, scattering her opponents like leafs in the wind. Kakashi jumped forward, his Sharingan eye revealed as he readied his own kunai to counter her own blade but just seconds before the two were to clash, a strange white-gold light shinned on them. He watched Ami's eyes widen in a look of fear and realization, she whispered something only his borrowed eye caught and then he was hit from behind, pushed further past her with added speed by the aid of her water serpent. He skidded on the ground, twisted in the dirt and crouched on all fours, he watched in disbelief as Ami stood braced in the middle of a blinding lightning attach, looking as if she was trying to stop it. Kakashi watched as she tilted her face towards him and smiled gently, mouthing the words only he could read. Then she was screaming as the attack bested her, forcing her to slam into the stone wall of the shop, denting it upon impact before slumping against the broken wall like a corpse. Her hair was freed from its now broken hair tie, letting elegant plum waves cascade around her burnt and bruised face. She was covered in bruises; her clothes burnt and frayed revealing charred skin beneath. His fell leaf Nin stopped and murmured, wondering what just happened and who attacked Ami, was it Kakashi or someone else?

"That was close," a deep voice chuckled in the night, a far cloaked mountain built man stepped out of the alleyway directly across from Ami's slumped body. "I can't let you take on Hatake you could die, stupid brat."

"What's going on?" a Chunin questioned, "who is that?"

"Hay~ you were supposed to be gentile with her," suddenly there was another dark cloaked form beside the mountain, significantly smaller then the giant, "how are we supposed to get her report if you kill her?"

"I think the report is a little unnecessary, look at the leaf scum, they're angry enough, she must have succeeded with her mission," the giant replied, "she did however fail to keep our village out of this, she revealed our identities a little too easily don't you think?"

"Naw~," the smaller one replied, "she's just proactive... Like those two." The two Chunin who planned to attack the cloaked figures from above screamed as lightning incased them, throwing them away from the two cloaked individuals.

"Damn them," Azuma hissed

"Azuma! Calm down!" Kakashi ordered, "They're just playing with us!" Like a spell had been broken the two cloaked people were suddenly in front of Ami, the smaller one examining the girl's wounds before giggling to themselves.

"Hay cap'in you over did it! If we don't get her to cap'in soon, she's gonna die! And then we're going to be in big trouble! The queen of storms isn't known for playing very nice, even with her allies!"

"Fine, whatever, get the girl and we'll leave this rotten cesspool," the man ordered, the shorter person chuckled and pulled Ami onto their shoulder

"Oof! She's heavier then she looks!" The smaller one whined, "Hay cap'in you carry her! I won't be nearly as fast with her on me~!" The giant snorted and grabbed them both, setting his companion on his shoulder and holding Ami carelessly under his other arm, "yea~h! A ride!" The shorter one giggled from their seat on the giant's shoulder. "Let's get to the queen!" The two were suddenly gone in a burst of light and speed, Ami's long plum hair tailing after them like a comment

"No damn it!" Kakashi hollered, trying to take off after them, he was joined by the Chunin who attacked Ami first; together they attacked the giant but were blocked by the shorter person easily.

"Aw~ look what you did you big bullies!" The person whined like a child, "You ruined my favorite cloak!" Kakashi's eyes widened staring at the porcelain white mad of a Kumo Anbu agent, his mask shaped like a grinning cat, fitting for all the winning he was doing. Beside him the Chunin reached forward, his teeth ground together as he reached for the long violet locks of the young girl. Suddenly a pale white hand covered in bloody burns reached out of the endless waves and slapped his hand away, as if to save him from the bolt of electricity that was suddenly between them, slicing the skin on the girl's forearm. Before the group disappeared into the dark of the night, laughter echoing after them, the Chunin got a look at Ami's face, his eyes widening as something cold and wet slashed against his bruised face. Kakashi grabbed his shoulder, pulling him back as they watched the Anbu agents disappear into the forest, the heartbroken and frightened face of the young girl etched into their minds.

"What are you two doing?!" Azuma asked loudly, skidding a stop beside them with several others, "they're getting away!"

"She was crying," the Chunin whispered, one hand whipping off the tears on his face to look down at them on his finger tips, "she didn't want to go..."

"What are you talking about? She killed Hokage-sama!" Another chunin snarled at him

"Maybe, maybe not," Kakashi counted calmly, "remember her words? She told us of her plans but never acted on them, she even revealed her village affiliation to us... and she defended herself but didn't actually attack us."

"She sent that water serpent to attack us," Shikaku frowned at him, "and drew a kunai to attack you."

"No, not quite," Kakashi drawled thoughtfully, "she drew a kunai to protect herself from any thrown weapons; she wasn't expecting me to charge her. Plus when those agents started to attack us, she used that serpent to push me to safety, using herself as a shield to prevent the attack from going through the building she crashed into."

"What do you mean?" Shukaku questioned, "That lightning pushed her into the building, the owner will have to replace the entire wall."

"That jutsu is called Raiton: heaven's spear," Kakashi explained, "it's designed to take out mountains and reshape valleys. In other words she protected the entire Eastern section of the village by using her water serpent to redirect the majority of the attach into the ground where it could be dispersed safely without harming anyone."

"Well that explains our current black out," Azuma sighed, "so how long is it gonna be before we get power back here?"

"Raiton: heaven's Spear?" Shukaku repeated slowly, trying to recall where he heard of that before, "that's an S-class lighting technique designed to take out whole armies with one hit, how'd she survive it point blank like that?"

"_Uncle_," the conversation ended with the soft whispery voice, they all turned to see one young blonde girl approaching them, dressed in a white Yukata, making herself appear to be a ghost in the midnight moonlight. The girl's father, Inoichi Yamanaka, was walking silently behind her, a frown on his face as he followed her lead.

"Isn't that the mute Yamanaka heiress?" Kakashi asked curiously

"You're half right," Shukaku answered, "but she's not mute."

"_You have to save her uncle_," Ino said calmly, the group of men sighed together as they realized that she was using her family's technique of telepathy, she wasn't actually speaking to them, "_if you don't they're going to kill her_."

"She killed Hokage-sa—"

"_Hokage-sama is alive and well, what you saw was a corpse doll_," Ino interrupted the chunin, "_Ami Yanagi does not wish to leave the village. The words she spoke earlier were in grief and betrayal not hatred, when she spoke of Naruto it was with confusion and affection, not mockery and triumph._"

"...What makes you think those men who took her will kill her?" Shukaku asked, looking more at his old teammate then the heiress

"_What happened to Hatake Sakumo, who was a professional assassin that failed his mission and started the third great ninja war?_" Ino asked in return, unknowingly hitting an old wound in Kakashi. "_Ami warned Hokage-sama, that is why they will kill her. It is only a matter of time before they figure it out and when they do, they won't stop with just her, they'll destroy her mother's entire clan, the Kawayamas._"

"Are you sure of this?" Kakashi asked seriously, "how do you know?"

"Ino accidentally possessed Ami during a training session with me," Inoichi answered, looking like he was a little kid preparing for a scolding from his parent

"_What other option is there for a clan heiress?_" Ino asked, distracting the adults with the question, "_The Kawayama clan is hated and spat on, their only option to regain their acceptance into Kumo was to send in their heiress as a sleeper agent in their current enemy's encampment._"

"And when enough time passes, they marry and have a child," Shukaku hissed in understanding, "that child then continues on the mission their parent was assigned! Once the child succeeds they're greeted like a hero in their home village and their family honor is restored!"

"_But Ami adores the hidden leaf_," Ino reminded them, "_She is a traitor_."

"Just not to the hidden leaf!" Kakashi shouted, moving into a sprint as he weaved his hands into several hand signs, "Inu summoning: Eight canines!" His hand drew across the path in a straight line, the summons appearing on that line for only a moment before they were off running after their master. "There's a girl covered in lightning burns, find her!" Kakashi ordered and his summons disappeared with echoing howls sounding like wolves eagerly on the hunt.

"Ino-chan," Shikaku called before the blonde and her father could walk away, "When did you find all of that out?"

"_Two years ago_," Ino answered simply

"You knew about her plans for two years?!" Shikaku questioned, "Do you want to be tried for treason?! Why didn't you say anything?!"

"_Ami was not aware of any details pertaining to her mother's mission until the day she graduated_," Ino corrected dully, "_Her only mission at the given point in time was to become as strong as she could by learning all of the hidden leaf's secret arts_."

"So she only learned of her mission today," Inoichi sighed, "I wonder if she had enough time to warn Hokage-sama like you said…"

"_Ami would not harm her own teacher_," Ino said bluntly, turning on her heal and walking away, ignoring the shouts from her father and his old teammate. _It's up to you, Hatake Kakashi_, Ino thought as she walked, her specialty telling her where the tracker and her classmate were easily, _you're the only one who save her now._

Iruka panted as he ran through the dark forest, unaware of another following unseen in the darkness

Naruto scratched his head as he tried to focus on the instructions and not fall asleep

Natsuki stopped at the top of the hill overlooking the hidden leaf, a feeling of foreboding settling over her like am woolen blanket being wrapped around her shoulders

Kakashi ran through the trees, surrounded by his ninken and two of his classmate's close behind, panting heavily and gasping for breath

Ami slapped her bloody hand against a branch as they ran, praying that the men carrying her away from her home never noticed her sorry excuse of a trail

None of them could be prepared for what the night would befall them nor for what the morning brought

…

* * *

…

**Kawa = River **

**Yama = Mountain**

**Kawa + Yama = Kawayama (it should read 'River Mountain)**

**I thought it would be a little dumb for an undercover agent to use their actual name while going undercover, so I thought this could work. Looking at my list of most common surnames in Japan, I only came up with five names that had mountain in it and two that had river in it, so I used Kawa (meaning river) and Yama (meaning mountain) and combined them the hopeful translation of 'River Mountain'.**

**Thoughts are helpful**

**Opinions are wonderful**

**Helpful criticism is lovely! Just don't cripple me okay?**

**Please no cursing!**

**And don't forget to rate and review!**

**Page 15**


	22. Chapter 22

**Something New**

Chapter 22: Nekage, queen of the storms

Koomahana

**Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine; you want the real stuff get off this site**

_Thoughts_

_Paragraphs are memories_

…

* * *

…

They laughed as they landed in the clearing, the grass field glowed beautifully in the midnight moonlight, shining like silver threads, the lake looked like a silver platter and the two figures near the tall rock beside the lake looked like the ghosts of memories almost forgotten. Their commander was standing at the top of the large rock, dressed in his tattered and worn-out ashy-black cloak, a remnant of its once inky black threads that were now sun-bleached into a lighter shade of black. The other ghostly figure was unmistakably female; she was sitting on the edge of the rock, her legs dangling over the edge looking as if they were stretching out of the shadow the rock was creating below her. Even the woman's sleeves were bell shaped and beautiful glowing onyx but were ragged and torn, as if the edges were never finished or had been torn apart by a shredder.

"Ca~pti~n!" The shorter of the two cats called out childishly, "we got her~ eh?" The woman sitting on the edge of the rock was suddenly gone, stilling his mountain of a partner a second too late, before either could react they were separated and in the air, their bodies aching in pain. They landed harshly, coughing as if to get water out of their lungs, their bodies trembling as they tried to push themselves up, even lifting their head to look at their attacker seemed to take up every once of strength they had left.

"Pathetic," a woman's voice drawled carelessly, their masks shifted and they stared up at the woman who had been on the rock just seconds before, now she was standing before them, as if she was looking down on an ant hill she was about to throw a match in. "You never would've passed my test. You must've been recommended by one of the council members."

"You," the talking mountain wheezed, "who... who are you?"

"I am Nekage, queen of the storms," she stood to her full height, her black silk war kimono was torn and worn, looking as if it belonged on the grim reaper-or maybe his wife. "On your feet soldiers," Nekage ordered, turning on her heal and walking away, "we've got no time to waste on your foolishness."

"That's impossible," the smaller one coughed, "the queen of storms died decades ago!"

"Oh?" She stopped walking tilting her masked face at him over her small shoulder, violet eyes seemed to glow in the darkness beneath her mask, her ice cold voice sent chills representative of death crawlling over the two partner's spines, making their hair stand in end. "Just when did I die?" The woman questioned, turning on one foot to stare directly down on the smaller of the two cats, "you going to answer me boy or just stare at me?"

"They made a public announcement of your death two years after you went undercover," their commander answered, pulling the woman's attention to himself easily. "At the time they were unaware of your mission—"

"What do you mean they were unaware?" Nekage asked, roundig onto the man like a viper ready to strike, "the village elders assigned me the mission!"

"No," he shook his head, staring at her with regretful blue eyes, "your clan elders sent you on a suicide mission. They believed you betrayed them or shamed them somehow, and forged a mission scroll for you. That's why it lacked details; like reservations, code names, meet points, allies, informets and handlers..." He trailed off slowly, watching how his comrade collapsed to the ground like a teen age girl trembling in fear. Her ankles sat on either side of her, her hands clutching the dark grass between her knees, her small shoulders trembling in suppressed anger or sorrow, her head bowed as if in shame. It was strange seeing his hard as a rock chief commander, the youngest Anbu agent in history, the first female agent to enter Anbu and the first to command it, tremble and shake like a frightened child.

"A waste," Nekage whispered, staring numbly down at the dark grass between her fists, "I wasted thirty years of my life... for nothing... thirty _years_..."

"It wasn't all for nothing," he said, kneeling beside the knocked out teenager laying almost peacefully on the ground between his two men and beside his commander, "you married and had a son and then had a daughter all in that time frame and you were happy there, not many shinobi can say that."

"I killed... I killed so many... Men, women, elders... Children...," Nekage murmured, "all for the Raikage... For a mission that didn't exist..." He sighed as he gently lifted the small replica of his chief commander into his arms, rising to his feet quietly he turned back to his chief. If not for his proximity to her, he never would be able to see the small droplets of water escaping the bottom edge of her mask.

He turned and started to walk away

"You can have your vengeance when you return to the village," he said, "your elders were quarantined as soon as Raikage-sama, Ei-sama, found out." She stilled, her eyes widening at the information. She was unaware of Ei achieving his dream in becoming Raikage, somehow though, despite the many years since she last saw him, she was relived and happy for him.

…

_She ran, skidded, jumped, flipped, twisted and skipped around the dozens of her enemies; she danced on the very wind itself as she swept through the army of thugs, carelessly slashing at them with her twin swords. In less then five minutes half of the army was laying dead at her feet, those few still living were giving death moans and groans, some even whimpering for mercy. But she was the genin ice queen Natsuki Kawayama, the heiress of the swordsman clan and genin of Iawagakure; they would have no mercy from her, not while they were still at war. The sound of sizzling, like pop rocks, alerted to an attack from her three o'clock, she blocked the kunai and quickly substituted out of the explosion tags range. She was surrounded by a dozens of clones, each looking like one of three people, a team of chunin no doubt. Once again she slid through the mass of ninja, finding and executing the shinobi as quickly as she did the army of thugs, once again she spun and twisted, dancing away from every attack aimed her way. Then before she knew it the attacks were being timed, coming in quicker and quicker, as if they were trying to pin her to a certain location. So she defied their logic and shot off like a rocket, sliding through two more chunin like they were ghosts, she was moving so fast their spraying blood didn't get a chance to touch her. She spun around and blocked a sword strike, thrusting up her own blade into the attacker's stomach, she spun away from him again before his blood could possibly touch her; ignoring the agonized scream that followed her as she walked towards the last remaining chunin. The young man stumbled back, fear contorting his face, but there was something strange in his eyes, he wasn't truly afraid, he was just acting. She dodged the twin swipes from two well trained chunins, frowning to herself as she flipped midair to move out of the way of a set of kunai blades. She landed and exchanged a set of blinding blows with her enemy, another sword user by his ability to keep up with her attacks and defenses._

_She never looked at their head bands, never looked at their faces, she watched their shoulders and feet, blocking every strike aimed for one of her vitals. She was forced to substitute again when she blocked his strike to her head but dropped a paper explosive between them, she reappeared on the edge of the army of dead, seeing something in the ground she quickly jumped away. She snarled to herself, seeing the darker then should be shadow retreat, of course she was being manipulated on the battle field, she was fighting a Nara! She was fighting leaf Nin!_

_No wonder they weren't fighting fairly, damn Naras were too smart for their own good_

_"Your not half bad girl," she flinched as someone else stepped out into her field of vision, something was wrong, no sane ninja would reveal themselves to another unless they were confident in their ability to beat that other ninja. "Its not everyday you see a genin take out five chunin," she gritted her teeth and adjusted her stance to regard the too calm man a few dozen meters from her, "the question is, do you think you can take me on?" Mockery, contempt, confidence, pride, loathing; she knew them all, she was practically raised knowing them, experiencing them, hearing and seeing them everytime she entered her home village. _

_"Jonin," she hissed, voice low from lack of use, though she guessed the screaming she did the previous day didn't help her any_

_"That's right," he agreed evenly, "now you wanna be a good little genin and give up?"_

_"You don't recognize my crest do you?" She asked, a smirk sliding onto her face, sad and regretful, a look of one mocking themselves would where_

_"Should I?" He asked an audible frown in his voice, his eyes dropping to the simple looking decision on her chest and skirt_

_"This is the mark of the Kawayama clan," she informed him, "we're hated and despised in Kumo, so when the village wants a suicide team they comprise it completely of my clansmen. Our only roll is to fight and die, they'll keep sending us on suicide missions until we finally die, then they call up the next relative to finish the job."_

_"...You live... only to die?" He asked slowly_

_"That is the purpose of my existence," she agreed, "that's the fate of all Kawayamas."_

_"Why don't you fight that fate?" A chunin asked, "What kind of life is that? Living only to die?! What is your village thinking?!"_

_"Its two birds with one stone," the Jonin murmured, earning an amused smirk from the girl, "Kumo can't just massacre them, they need a reason or they'll look no different then the bloody mist."_

_"That's right," she swept her eyes across her opponents carefully, "better send someone out to die on an impossible mission then to kill them and get bad publicity."_

_"They're choking the life out of you," the Jonin whispered, "Why does your clan even want to be a part of Kumo? Don't they value their own lives?"_

"_Our clan was one of the first to arrive on the mountain where Kumogakure now sits," she informed them, "the first Raikage was of our clan. They kicked us out when rumors of a rebellion in our clan were beginning to filter through the village; they've been trying to kill us off slowly ever since. Kumogakure is our home. We established it, we raised it, and we will defend it until there isn't a single one of us left standing."_

"…_there's a fire in your eyes girl," the Jonin murmured, "Just who are you to this stubborn clan?"_

_"I am the sole heir of the Kawayama clan," she adjusted her stance, thinking it so she had a higher chance of greater speed with minimal amount of notice, "I am Natsumi Kawayama!" She burst forward, exchanging blows with the Jonin as fast as her aching limbs would allow her; he countered her almost too easily._

_"Why don't you fight that fate?" The Jonin questioned as he swept to the side with a parry followed by a strike, "You don't have to live like that!"_

_"I am fighting it!" She screamed at him, her purple locks whipping around her like a weapon as she ducked and spun around him, dodging the blow to her shoulder. "Every step, every breath, every word, every successful mission—I am screaming at them! This is my way of fighting back! I will survive! I will bring honor to my clan! I will not die without a fight!" She jumped back, spinning in place and summoning her chakra into her blades, making them glow in the growing darkness of a storm slowly building overhead. "I am fighting! With everything I've got!"_

_He slid through her attack, her eyes widened, watching her reflection dance on his blade as it touched the navy cloth just over her heart_

…

_Even after so many years,_ she smiled bitterly at the earth below her, _they still remember me? What a couple of fools_, she stood, her decision clear, her choice made, nothing was going to stop her, not now. She stood to her full height, the wind gave a gentle breeze, cooling the summer night with the promise of a long and bloody battle. The two men she hit earlier coughed and wheezed as they pushed themselves up, glaring angrily at her behind their masks, they decided to let things go as they climbed onto their feet and started to follow their commander. She followed them calmly, walking between the mountain man and the short almost-child-soldier, jade eyes locked onto her comrade's back unflinchingly. Her comrade glanced back at them, reaching the very edge of the rock they were on a few minutes ago; she could almost see that smile he used to give her when they were still young and learning how to be good ninja of Kumo.

All too soon that feeling of familiarity and safety ended

Her comrade stopped dead in his tracks, before any of them could question him, blood was spraying out of him, covering her child and the dog that was suddenly latched around his throat, pushing him back and away from the small wounded girl. Nekage didn't move, watching in horror and surprise as her ally fell, a shadow jumped forward and grabbed her child, racing off onto the silver shining lake almost before she could blink. She didn't need to speak for the two men to take off after her child, screaming in fury and hatred, cursing the large shadow wildly. The canine who latched itself around her comrade's throat remained standing before her, her comrade hanging from its mouth like a dead rabbit and growling and snarling as if daring her to attack it.

"Release him," she ordered, her comrade choked as the animal tightened its hold on his neck, deepening the holes puncturing his throat. She didn't move, didn't need to, and before the animal knew it, it was dropping the man as hundreds of slashes appeared on its amber coat and raining down on the large stone it still stood on. She didn't speak as she stepped forward and slammed a foot into the Canine's chest, hurdling it threw the air and far away from her comrade. Effortlessly she caught her comrade and kneeled, propping his back against her chest and setting his head on her shoulder, her right hand reached into her back pouch and pulled out a large roll of bandages while her left hand flared bright jade green, healing what damage she could. Sadly that wasn't much, she could fix his punctured main arty but his voice box and wind pip were another story, not to mention she would be fighting soon, she needed to preserve his life and wrap up everything else. Her comrade felt heavy like a bolder, leaning against her with all of the weight of a mountain, his head craned back and resting on her shoulder, letting his bright blue eyes stare at her profile. He lifted a hand reaching out to her face as he had seen her husband do, wondering if she would smile at him as she had done for that strange man who stole her heart, the heart that was never present in the queen of storms nor in the girl he grew up with.

"Don't move," she ordered coldly, lifting his head from her shoulder gently and began wrapping his neck, he tried to speak but it came out as a gurgled mess if nonsense. "Don't talk," she snapped, as if resisting the urge to smack him, "you'll undo all the work I put into your throat." He smiled bitterly to himself, wondering just when she learned how to heal, it was said to be one of the hardest techniques to learn. When she was done wrapping his throat she double checked the damage inside and nodded, ordering him to lay down and rest, she stood to her full height and watched the tall grass sway in front of her, listening to the sounds of the battle occurring on the lake surface far to her right.

"How long are you going to stand there?" She asked calmly, glancing over her shoulder at the masked shinobi hiding in the tall grass behind her, "come out and face me little pup, you'll pay for hurting my comrade."

"Haaa_raaaa_!" She dodged every strike from the masked kunochi, evading the twin dogs tangling their way into the woman's attacks like serpents. Judging by the woman's use of canines she was an Inuzuka, meaning it should be easy to deal with her if she could take out the woman's canines. Her first strike was to the jumping ninken, two fingers puncturing a hole into his neck with razor sharp precision, her second strike was to the charging ninken, her right high heal slipped between his collar bone and neck, spraying everything with blood, nearly drenching the two masked women.

"You are the weakest agent I've ever met," Nekage drawled calmly, her free hand tightening around the Inuzuka woman's throat, "you never would've passed my Anbu exams." The kunochi coughed, her sharp nails scraping uselessly against the thick leather of the older woman's black gloves, her feet kicking uselessly against the cat masked woman's stomach and chest. Her canine comrades dropped to the large rock, bleeding and unconscious they remained still, their dark golden eyes closing as if their lifes were slowly fading away with the cold breeze of the wind.

"Natsumi Kawayama," she froze at the voice, familiar and warm, a memory of almost comfort washed over her. She released the woman and jumped back just in time to avoid the blade that slashed out at her wrist, she barely managed to avoid the sword strike to her chest, her eyes narrowed behind her mask at the small tear marring the black silk of her brest. Landing just on the other side of her comrade, she examined the two Anbu agents before her, one with a single katana in hand and the other crouching further away, the coughing Inuzuka in his arms.

"Jonin," Natsumi drawled, rising to her feet and staring at the man who chose to help her people during the last war, not that it actually worked but at least he tried. "You've gotten quiet ugly over the years," she commented, pointing out that he shouldn't have moved his mask to the side and reveal his scared face to her, "the war certainly didn't help you any."

"I see the war chilled your heart," he replied calmly, as if this was a normal greeting custom between them, "though it appears you've grown into a fine young woman." It was then her mask split in half, revealing her face to the two younger agents behind the man, it took a little too much effort on Natsumi's end to not start pouting at him like she did to her husband from time to time.

"Heh," she smiled and looked down to examine her comrade carefully, "I see you haven't changed, still using sneak attacks." She crossed her arms in front of her chest and slipped her hands into her sleeves as she regarded the old man as calmly as any princess would regard a pacing agitated politician, "I'm surprised you're in Anbu, I thought you died years ago."

"I could say the same about you," he replied, "what now?"

"If we fight things will get ugly real quick," she said thoughtfully, "tend to your mutts girl and get out of my sight." The kunochi snarled at her like a wild animal, however Natsumi turned away and kneeled beside her teammate, placing a glowing green palm on his neck, "calm down they're still alive but if you don't do something soon they'll die for sure." That was all the kunochi needed to dash forward and start her own specialized healing technique to tend to the unconscious animals.

"Why did you betray us?" The man, the one she called 'jonin', asked as he stepped forward onto the rock, crouching down to examine the damage to her wheezing friend. "We offered you a home, a safe place, why did you reject the offer?"

"The only offer I ever received from the leaf was the one I got from you during the war," Natsumi replied calmly, "are you saying you sent more offers to us?"

"Yes," he nodded, "I wasn't aware of your patents names so I addressed the letters to you. I even made the ninja mailman think he got the letters in Kumo and not Konoha so you wouldn't get in trouble with the Raikage."

"Really?" She asked, a threat in her voice, "how many letters did you send?"

"I'm not sure," he answered honestly, his scared face twisting into a thoughtful expression, "I sent a letter to you during the war every chance I got when I came home. When peace was declared I was looking for you in the group accompanying the Kumo ambassador, then I was sending you letters every month after that... I guess that's a few hundred by now."

"Hmm... I've been in Konoha for nearly thirty years," Natsumi informed him pulling her glowing hand back and twisting on the balls of her feet to face him completely, "I haven't received even one of those letters... even before I came here."

"You've got a dangerous glint to your eyes girl," he observed, just as he had observed the fire in her eyes when they first met, "who are you going to kill now?"

"The little rat so content in destroying my clan," Natsumi answered with a demon worthy grin, her voice dripping with venom and hostility, "once I do some weeding I'll discuss your offer with the survivors and then talk to your Hokage."

"Do you seriously think Hokage-sama would let you back in traitor?" The kunochi snarled at her

"Traitor?" Natsumi questioned, "you speak as if I was one of your own. For your information my mission was to infiltrate the hidden leaf as a backer and wait for a chance to kill Hokage-sama. I never infiltrated any buildings or stole any documents, my only mission was Hokage-sama's death; nothing else mattered." Her words were met with a snort, drawing her attention to the man who offered her people a chance of freedom and peace.

"What?" Natsumi questioned the man hiding his face behind his hand

"You? A cook?" Laughter was in his voice and shaking his shoulders, as if he thought it was funny

"What's so funny about it?!" Her question was met with a snort quickly followed by chocked coughing and gagging, this was emitting from her comrade laying on the ground trying not to drown in his own skin. "Not you too!" Natsumi bellowed, "Why're you laughing?! You've eaten my food before!" Her teammate turned his face to the side and made 'ble~ewc' noise, "You're lucky you're hurt," Natsumi snarled at him, "Otherwise yo—"

"Kyaa!" Natsumi looked around her acquaintance to see someone fly through the air and crash land into the grassy field

"That had better be your man," Natsumi growled, turning a glare down on her comrade, "Otherwise someone is gonna get hurt." Her teammate chose that time to pretend to be asleep, however pained screams prevented anyone from responding to her threat and the remaining unharmed Anbu agents all jumped to their feet, hurrying to the edge of the large rock to see what was happening on the lake.

"I take it that one is yours?" the man questioned beside Natsumi as he stared out over the wall of dense fog sparking with electricity

"Isn't she wonderful?" Natsumi cooed with a proud glint to her eyes and a blush on her cheeks, "Go baby, go!" she cheered enthusiastically

"You realize she's beating the ever living hell out of your men right?" The Inuzuka woman questioned dully

"As if I care for such weaklings," Natsumi rolled her eyes, "they don't belong in Anbu anyways. This is just the argument I need to kick them out."

"Still a wrecking ball," the man drawled carelessly

"Still ugly as hell," she retorted smoothly, her eyes dancing as a water tornado shot up into the sky, highlighted by bursts of electricity and screams. Then it exploded, forcing the three-on-truce-agents to run for cover, covering their wounded protectively and waiting for the water encased raindrops to pass. Once the short burst of electrified rain ended Natsumi pushed herself off her wounded teammate and looked down at the soaked, still sparking, grass field. At the base of the large rock where the sprawled out forms of Natsumi's two subordinates, with broken masks and trembling bodies, as if they endured a year's worth of shock therapy. Further away, standing amongst the burnt and smoldering grass slowly weeping down towards the ground where it would later die, was a tall figure of a young woman, standing defiantly in the electrified grass and water, seemingly unconcerned with the sparks dancing across her already burnt and bleeding skin. The young woman's clothes were tattered and torn, her long perfectly grape wine hair swirled around her body in a sea of endless waves and curls, fraying at the ends and sparking with electricity. Bruises littered her body mercilessly, smudging under her eyes like thick paint stokes of a paintbrush, darkening her brown eyes with exhaustion and desperation. If left alone she would undoubtedly fall to chakra exhaustion, but if she could manage one last attack then her allies would arrive in time to save her.

With her decision made, Nekage released a small amount of her smothered chakra.

"You've done well girl," the two leaf Anbu agents jerked at the frigid cold voice, turning in surprise to look back at the masked woman who was kneeling beside her wounded comrade. The plum haired woman walked over her comrade and went to pass the taller of the two other agents, but stopped when the masked man grabbed her wrist. The two war vets had long since gotten accustomed to carrying more then one mask and while everyone else had been distracted they both easily replaced their masks with new ones.

"What are you doing Natsumi?" 'Jonin' hissed lowly at her, soft enough that only she could hear, "That's your daughter, are you going to fight her? Are you seriously going to—"

"I have to know," Natsumi murmured, tilting her masked face towards him slightly, "I have to know she can stand on her own feet now. Kumo will come for her again and I have to know that she can protect herself, I have to find out, I have to know she'll be safe."

"You're giving her a test," he whispered in understanding, "what if she fails?"

"Then I'll harden my heart," Natsumi whispered, straightening her posture and returning her cold eyes back to her panting and wounded child, knowing that at any moment she would feint, "I will do whatever it takes to protect my child. Please let me do this, old friend." His fingers slipped from her wrist in surprise and she continued walking down the rock to meet her child, who only knew that she was a kunochi of Kumo and nothing more. Nekage approached the two men struggling to sit up, panting heavily as their bodies trembled under their own weight.

"Nekage-sama, let us..." The smaller of the two men panted and wheezed as he finally managed to push himself up into a sitting position, "h-handle her. We can... We can do this!"

"You couldn't stand two seconds against me," Nekage replied coldly

"You're the queen of storms," the talking mountain coughed, "who could stand against you?"

"The blade of the hidden leafs seems to do so just fine," she replied walking past the shorter one, "there is also the fact that neither one of you could stand five minutes against that child." Her voice dropped with every word with venom and displeasure, making her sound like the echos of a thunder storm gathering along the horizon.

"Please my lady!" The shorter one coughed, "we can—"

"You can't even stand," Nekage snarled under her breath as she walked past the giant, "now both of you recover quickly so we can leave when this is over." The two men sighed and shifted a little closer together, finding comfort in the other's closeness. They turned distrusting eyes onto the leaf shinobi behind them but found only their wounded comrade laying on the large rock, masked face turned towards them and his barrel like chest rising up and down with a little stutter every now and again.

"Who are you?" Ami snarled, stepping back wirily as the strangely masked woman stopped just two meters away from her

"I am Nekage," the low voiced woman answered, "Queen of the storms."

"Ch, I'm Ami! Kunochi of Konohagakure!" Ami shouted readying herself in her academy's Taijutsu stance, "I'm going home and you can't stop me!"

…

* * *

…

**Thoughts are helpful**

**Opinions are wonderful**

**Helpful criticism is lovely! Just don't cripple me okay?**

**Please no cursing!**

**And don't forget to rate and review!**

**Page 10**


	23. Chapter 23

**Something New**

Chapter 23: the meaning of home

Koomahana

**There was some minor details added to the previous two chapters, nothing you need to go back and re-read for, like I said MINOR!  
**

**Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine; you want the real stuff get off this site**

_Thoughts_

_Paragraphs are memories_

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…

"I am Nekage," the low voiced woman answered, "Queen of the storms."

"Ch, I'm Ami! Kunochi of Konohagakure!" Ami shouted readying herself in her academy's Taijutsu stance, ignoring the sudden waver to her vision, "I'm going home and you can't stop me!" Nekage burst forward, a sword suddenly appearing in her right hand, Ami lashed out with a block of still highly charged water, sending the electric sparks through the sword and up Nekage's right arm, numbing it quickly. The woman leaped away, her sword slipping from her numb fingers and clattering against the sodden ground, little yellow sparks surrounded it as if warning away anyone foolish enough to try and grab it.

"Not bad girl," Nekage murmured, a smile in her smooth soprano voice, "you manipulate the currents in water, guiding the electricity in it to attack your opponent. Being water natured has certainly aided you in your training as a kunochi."

"Your wrong," Ami smiled tiredly at the kunochi, the edges of her sight darkening to the point of blurring the masked woman before her. She knew that if she didn't do something quickly she was going to pass out and that would only hinder her planes; fainting wasn't something she could afford.

She still had someone to avenge

"...I see," the woman murmured, drawing her second katana from the sheath sitting on the back of her waist. "With the surface damage you sustained from the lightning encased tornado, I'm assuming you're actually lightning natured." Ami drew two kunai and held them before herself readily, growling in the back of her throat like an angry kitten being picked up for the first time. Suddenly there was loud howling, like a pack dogs signaling the scent of a targeted pray, Nekage stiffened at the sound and retreated a few leaps before re-examining her surroundings carefully. The border patrol Anbu unit were regrouped further to her left, using the grass still standing and not wet or burnt as cover while they tended to their wounded teammate and three animals. Her own comrades had regrouped on the rock, the mountain like man was pulling their slightly smaller teammate onto his back with the aid of their smallest teammate securing the man's arms over the giant's shoulders.

"What's wrong?" Ami asked, blinking the dizziness from her sight, "scared of a few pups?" She couldn't hold on much longer, if back up didn't arrive soon, she was going to be taken away. She had to hold out a little longer!

"I don't particularly care for who follows them," Nekage drawled, sheathing her sword and turning on her foot, deeming their fight unnecessary with the arrivals of back up. "You may remain with the leaf girl but know this, storms appear without warning."

"Storms don't... last long..." Ami murmured, not noticing the insult she just dealt to the kumo Nin, "who... Who are you?" Ami asked, trying to ignore the tilting, blurring world that was threatening to end everything she had fought for, "Why do you want me?" The woman stopped at the bottom of the rock, weighing her options as she tried to think of what she could and couldn't say to the young kunochi.

"...Someday you'll figure it out," the woman said softly, suddenly Ami found herself staring at a familiar green flank jacket and a feeling of comfort washed over her. Knowing that there were others there fighting for her and at full strength, Ami happily let herself fall unconscious, her body collapsing into the ready arms of the gray haired man standing in front of her.

"They're already gone," Kakashi murmured as he looked back over his shoulder at the tall rock over looking the lake. Inoichi nodded in agreement, sparing only a glance at the hidden operatives to their right as he took a step forward and calmly placed one hand onto Ami's head and closing his eyes as he concentrated on his special technique. While he waited, Kakashi examined their surroundings, wondering how this typically peaceful little field could suddenly look so worn and battle wiry. He examined the twenty meter area of burnt and dying grass that was also confusingly soaking wet with water... and still sparking in some places. Guess that answered that question, now then, what happened to the Anbu team? As if sensing his curiosity, the Anbu captain stood up in the tall untouched grass and walked forward like the shadow he was supposed to be. His mask was shaped like a smiling bird, or well, if birds could smile then that was what his lightly painted mask was doing. It was also Kakashi's only clue to the man's identity, having worked with the sword master multiple times before, he knew the man's code name as 'Whisper'. Tacky to some but incredibly redundant in regards to his fighting style, so technically the name fit.

"Inu-kun," Whisper greeted calmly, as if nothing was wrong, "you just missed Queenie." 'Queenie' was the nickname a few of the Anbu captains gave to a female Kumo operative, who happened to only be equaled by their 'whisper' which was funny because this same man was also the only one to see the woman's face. No one knows how those two know each other but supposedly a fight between them is a sight to see, something that was both amazing and terrifying to watch.

"She's clear," Inoichi murmured stepping back from the knocked out purple haired girl, "Ino was right... again."

"That's good," Kakashi sighed in relief, he adjusted his hold on the young kunochi and gingerly held her in his arms, bridal style. "Lets get back to the village, Genma you know first aid right?"

"Yup," the brunet stepped up and started to reach for the girl's arm to start the wrapping processes of her burns.

"Great, go help Crow and Hime," Kakashi eye smiled, shifting just enough so that the chunin's fingers fell short of reaching the girl.

"I told you not to call me that!" The kunochi in question snapped, "I need more bandages! Genma get over here!" Genma glared at Kakashi but dutifully headed towards the irate Anbu kunochi still fussing over her knocked out and bleeding canines. Kakashi snickered to himself before jumping into the nearest tree with Inoichi close to his side, one hand still brushing over Ami's temple as if to check her level of consciousness. When they both arrived at the edge of the forest beside their village, the sun was crawling over the mountain faces with sleepy golden fingers, at the village gates they found the village council, a team of medics and most of the Jonins all present and waiting patiently.

"Hokage-sama," Kakashi breathed in relief, his shoulders relaxing at the sight of the old man, who smiled and nodded back just as relieved as his returning Jonin.

"Thank you for bringing her back," Hiruzen said just as the two Jonin touched down in front of him, "I imagine my clone had her pretty scared, I never sent back a message saying I received her message."

"Hatake-san," a medic called softly, stepping forward with a strechure held between him and another medic, "we'll take the girl now." Kakashi nodded and gently placed the burned girl into the white moveable bed, a third medic set a white gloved hand on Ami's chest and followed the lead of the other two while he diagnosed every internal injury the girl had. The sun high lighted their pristine white backs as they ran across the roofs, several Jonin forming a protective circle around them.

"The queen of storms paid us a visit," Kakashi said as if starting a perfectly normal conversation with his co-workers; however he was facing Hiruzen and ignoring the whispering men and women just behind the whizened old man. "Whisper's team didn't look too good, little Hime's pets were hurt pretty bad so Genma stayed behind to help her with them. Crow seemed to be unharmed but he was also playing over protective guard with Hime so either he got hurt somewhere or he was exhausted from his mission; and crane was knocked out but appeared to be unharmed."

"At least they're alive," Hiruzen sighed in relief, physically slumping his shoulders as if a weight had been lifted, "what about Whisper? Did he and the Queen do battle?"

"It looked more like they were at a temporary truce sir," Kakashi answered, "based on the amount of blood in the air, her teammates were pretty badly injured. It would explain why they retreated at the sound of my Ninken calling us to their location."

"Hmm, I'll have to discus things with Whisper again," Hiruzen sighed, as if it was common place for 'Whisper' and the queen to meet and somehow manage to work out a truce at some point. "Anything else?" Hiruzen asked Kakashi curiously, not really expecting an answer.

"Sir about Ami's attempted assassination," Kakashi started slowly, "who set off the alarm? She attacked you long after it sounded... was that apart of the plan?"

"No, I'm afraid the alarm was set off for Naruto-kun when he stoll the forbidden scroll. Ami actually didn't know when they were going to force her to try to kill me but since it was graduation day and I hadn't heard from her, I thought I should make the clone sit out in the open just incase," Hiruzen answered as if that was a basic and common response to the question.

"I see..." Kakashi said softly, "wait, what did Naruto do?!"

"Oh no worries," Hiruzen chuckled with a warm smile, "Iruka-kun and Naruto-kun are both well and on their way back as we speak."

"Along with the traitor Mizuki," Homura added, "we should've seen his defection happening sooner."

_I am so lost,_ Kakashi thought, "Can someone update me please?" The Jonin snickered mercilessly while Hiruzen barked out a loud echoing laugh that vibrated though the air around them.

"Come Kakashi-kun," Hiruzen chuckled, "I was just about to do a village briefing, the chunins were the only ones who hadn't gotten all the details yet." Kakashi sighed as he followed his Kage back to the tower, unable to tell if he really wanted to know all of the details. By the time the last chunin arrived in the meeting room it was about eight in the morning, when about half of them were supposed to be in the academy, teaching. Kakashi was just seconds away from banging his head against the stone pillar he was leaning against when Hiruzen decided that it was time to walk into the room, silencing the sea of buzzing insects that was the whispering voices of the chunin.

"My apologies for making you all worry," Hiruzen started, smiling warmly at them, "but discretion was of the utmost importance. Just to clarify a few questions now, the Hokage you all saw die was in fact a very special corps doll Tsunade-chan made for me during the third Great War. Now for me to be blunt: Ami Yanagai is not a traitor. She participated in an S-class mission that could've ended very differently without her participation. As for the incident with Naruto-kun, he and the scroll have been returned to their rightful places and the traitor Mizuki has been apprehended. For now that is all any of you need to know, please return to your normal routines and do not speak of Ami's mission ever again." Kakashi stared at his Hokage in disbelief, the old man literally told them nothing that they didn't already know. The looks the old man was receiving from other chunin said they noticed the lack of information as well.

"Hokage-sama," well someone was gutsy today, no one else dared to raise their hand and call out to the Hokage, Kakashi turned his head around the pillar to look at the speaker and wasn't entirely surprised to see Iruka Umino standing at the back. "Where is Ami-chan now? Will she be able to take the finale test with her designated teammates or will their test be delayed till she's healed?"

"Ami-Chan is currently in the hospital," Hiruzen answered, "as for the rest, her Jonin instructor will have to talk to her doctors." Kakashi stilled in his attempt to lift off the wall and leave the room, his one good eye was locked into a stare down with Hiruzen, as if the old man was daring him to say something about the girl.

"That is all, dismissed," Hiruzen had the gull to smile at Kakashi as if he just won a bet, the gray haired man stared at his Kage a moment longer before sighing and slumping his posture. He already knew he would be training Naruto and Sasuke, he had been convinced that Sakura was going to take up the third position in the cell but when she left with Tsunade, he was instantly worried about that third place person. Now he knew who that third placement belonged too and he knew that hell was going to be his life until Sakura came back to even out the cell and balance the personalities on it.

He really hoped Sakura came back soon

...

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...

Sasuke sat at his normal desk, tapping his finger in irritation on the surface as he glared out the window beside him. Naruto disappeared last night, making it nearly impossible to find him and when Sasuke heard the alarm and left his home to find out more about it, he saw Ami attacking Kakashi. The only reason he didn't interfere was because Ino showed up behind him and did one of her family techniques to inform him about the situation. He wasn't happy about being forced to go back home but he understood that it wasn't his place to get involved, he could only trust that Kakashi would bring the strange girl back to the village. Now it was morning, the class was full of students whispering and laughing, but the two seats beside him where empty, denoting that they were still missing two students. Suddenly Sasuke's head felt crowded, as if more then one soul was being crammed into his skull and forcing him to see someone else's memories. Once the stuffy headache faded, Sasuke turned to look behind himself at the tall blonde kunochi standing at the back of the classroom, dull teal eyes locked on him blankly. He nodded in thanks and Ino blinked slowly before taking the empty seat beside Shikamaru, who gently butted his arm against her's as if to comfort her. Sasuke knew that Ino and Sakura were best friends before Sakura had that big mental break and became friends with Naruto abruptly, well, it was more like the boy suddenly saw her as a little sister who was in desperate need of protection. Still, Sasuke doubted that Sakura's 'death' hit anyone harder then it hit Ino; after all the bubbly-motor-mouth shut down completely and became a mute girl who kept a metaphorical fifteen foot radios between her any everyone else, even her own family.

"_Ow_!" The sudden cry made Sasuke snap around to stare at the front door of the room with wide eyes. "_Sensei that hurts_!" The door slammed open to reveal an irate Iruka holding a familiar blonde by one ear, twisting it painfully. "Let go already!" It was Naruto, Sasuke heard shouting the hallway.

"Shut it!" Iruka roared at him, "If you tried asking your guardian like a normal student you wouldn't be in trouble now!"

"Hay! I won didn't I!" Naruto whined only to yelp as Iruka's grip tightened on his ear

"You!" Iruka's attention snapped onto the girl beside him who stood ramrod straight, refusing to so much as twitch wrong in the significantly lighter hold he had of her own ear. "You should be in the hospital! Get back there NOW!"

"Quite yelling sensei, I'm right here, not across the village," Ami huffed at him, pulling her head out of his grasp and taking several hurried steps forward so she could get out of reach. "I'm just fine, quit freaking out already," Ami flexed her fingers in front of Iruka's face as if to make a point. The purple haired girl was dressed in a pale blue hospital yukata, what skin was revealed was wrapped in pristine white bandages.

She almost looked like a poor imitation of a mummy

"Half your face is hidden by a bandage," Naruto pointed out, as if Iruka's droll look wasn't explanation enough

"Shut it Blondie!" Ami barked at him with a scowl, "at least I didn't steal from the Hokage!"

"No you just took on a team of S-class ninja by yourself!" Naruto barked back

"Enough!" Iruka screamed, startling the arguing children, "Ami you'll be returning to the hospital as soon as possible."

"I'll leave after meeting my new teacher," Ami replied bluntly, walking away from him

"You tell him hi and then straight to the hospital!" Iruka ordered, knowing it was useless to argue with her

"Yeah, sure, whatever," it was more then clear that Ami wasn't listening as she walked up the stairs. She stopped half way up and stared blankly at the first empty seat she came too, at the far end was Sasuke, glaring warning at her. Making a tisking noise, Ami turned her attention to the rest of the class, looking for a different spot she could take. Suddenly her head snapped back around and she stared at a familiar silent blonde sitting in the back row of the class. Ami and Ino stared at each other for a moment, before finally Ino blinked and Ami nodded in understanding, as if some kind of silent message had been transpired between them. "Right, thanks," Ami said randomly as she stepped up and took the seat directly in front of the blonde, "I owe you big time." Shikamaru, who sat beside Ino, looked at his mute friend from the side, his face still buried in his arms.

"Ino," Shikamaru whispered as Naruto started walking up the stairs with a growing lump on his head, "what'd you tell her?" His childhood friend looked down at him and gave him a kind of whimsical smile; like a secret she couldn't share despite her desire to do so. Shikamaru sighed and snuggled his face deeper into his arms, closing his eyes as if he was gonna go back to sleep. In all honesty he was thinking, remembering and taking everything he knew into consideration; he was also wondering about the strange not-quite-friendship between Ino and Ami.

As if they were comrades in some kind of bizarre battle only they were aware of

Shikamaru pretended to be asleep as he thought, calmly ignoring his teacher as the man listed off numbers and their corresponding names. Eventually though he ended up with a chalk mark on his forehead and a squalling Iruka repeating himself with a vein pulsing on his forehead.

"Shikamaru! Pay attention!" Iruka barked in annoyance, "your apart of team ten with Ino and Choji!"

"Yeah, I figured that out a few years ago," Shikamaru yawned sleepily, Iruka's brow twitched even as he glared in annoyance at the young genius.

"Alright then," Iruka thumped his book onto his shoulder, "then, who should your classmates be paired up with?"

"Huh?" Shikamaru lifted his head up sharply

"Well since you figured out what team you would be on _years ago_," Iruka smirked at him, the vein on his forehead still pulsing, "then you must've figured out the possible team selections for everyone else as well." Shikamaru stared blankly at him, however a stare down would not end well for him, Iruka was a master of a glare-stare-off and he was beyond stubborn so it wasn't likely he would give up easily.

"I'm waiting," Iruka drawled patiently, Shikamaru stared at him for a little bit longer before sighing and thumping his head against his arms, Iruka took that as submission and started to open his mouth for a scolding.

"Hinata, Kiba and Shino would be the best team for trackers," Shikamaru said suddenly, "Nini, Hana and Natsu... Uh... Kuroko, Misaki and Mai... Shirai, Oshima and Nagoya... Haru, Shizuku and Yamakan...Asoko, Yuzan and Mitchan... Ami would most likely be paired up with Aoi and Shiname-"

"Sensei! Even Shikamaru thinks she should be on a different team!" Naruto bellowed out suddenly, "why are we paired with the queen of gloom?!"

"Of all the people in class, why did I end up with the clowns from hell?" Ami sighed, her posture slumping as she ignored the surprised look from Shikamaru.

"You're half wrong," Iruka said dismissively

"Quite laughing Blondie!" Ami snapped suddenly, turning to glare up at Ino who only smiled back at her. "Shut up! Get out of my head!"

"Ino quite torturing Ami," Iruka drawled, "anyways Shikamaru, the point is that you don't know everything. Listen to your surroundings, especially if someone is speaking," here the man had the gall to smirk at the genius, "you never know, you might learn something." The class snickered and chuckled at the Nara heir's misfortune before settling back down as Iruka gave them some last parting words and then dismissed them for lunch. Sasuke and Naruto were the first ones at the door, whispering together as if planning some sort of secret attack, abandoning Ami at their once shared desk easily and without looking back.

"Ami! Get to the hospital now!" Iruka ordered as he walked out the door, "I'll be there in twenty so you better get there before I do!" He walked out the door and Ami flipped herself under the desk, Ino stared at the deserted desk with a raised eyebrow. Soon enough she was frowning, then sighing, then she was heading to the door as if nothing was wrong; even smiling at Choji as she waved two coupons at him.

"YES! BARBEQUE HOUSE HERE WE COME!"

"Seriously Ino?" Shikamaru groaned, "We'll be late if we eat there~." What ever comment Ino made was done within the safety of the three friend's minds, Shikamaru groaned out a 'troublsome' while Choji just laughed at his misfortune. Once the classroom was empty it remained silent for all of five seconds, then the soft sound of feet gracefully tapping the sill of an open window sounded. The ninja looked around carefully, examining the room with a critical dark eye before silently stepping down into the room. Picking his steps carefully, the grown man approached the back of the tall classroom, walking on key wooden planks that would aid in his endeavor to be quiet. About half way up the side stair case, he stopped and looked down at a particular desk and seat, he could feel a smirk tug at his lips.

"Little mouse are you going to come out or do I have to drag you out?" He asked, he was expecting a voice to respond to him or perhaps the sound of the girl jumping in startled realization, thumping her head or arm on the seat at the same time. He was not expecting for a heavily bandaged arm to wrap around the edge of the seat to reveal the equally white wrapped hand and the—"that's unnecessary," he pouted at the hand flipping him off, "come on, I'll escort you to the hospital." The arm ducked back under the seat, as if to hide from him, the child in question never answered him. "...I really will drag you out from there," his only answer was a sudden whorl of water rotating protectively over the seat, he knew from experience that it wouldn't hurt him but he wasn't real interested in getting wet. By the time lunch was over and the two males of team seven returned to class to await their instructor, they found their previous seat broken in half, looking ominously like the jagged sharp teeth of a demon awaiting to swallow the two best friends. The friends stared at the creepy seat for a moment before quickly jumping into the first row seats on the right side, ignoring the glaring of another cell, the two boys proceeded to whisper together. As time passed Jonin entered and left the classroom, taking their various assigned teams with them; Naruto and Sasuke remained oblivious to the slowly emptying room, choosing instead to continue their whispering. By the time they realized they were the only ones in the classroom, four hours had passed and they were staring at a sky that was daring to begin the first stages of transformation for a sunset.

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…

Ami sat sulking in her hospital bed, the nurse beside her was changing her bandages and scolding her for not obeying her commanding officer, who happened to holed the record for number escapes from the hospital; it was also hinted that if she followed her teacher's example, then hell was quite possibly going to be waiting for her on her next visit. Kakashi Hatake, her jonin instructor, had decided to drop her off at the mercy of the nurses and go tell her father of her whereabouts, considering she never went home the previous night and had yet to return. The sun was beginning to set and her two male teammates of team seven had already stopped by to check up on her and ask a few questions about her skill range and specialties. They were still huddled over a nearby table whispering urgently over a few dozen little papers and what she guessed to be a few maps.

"Are you listening to me young lady?" the nurse snapped suddenly

"Yes ma'am!" Ami answered hurriedly, her head snapping back to look at the brunet woman

"The chunin called you three times," the woman huffed, waving an arm at the young man standing behind her, "you weren't listening where you?" Ami bowed her head in submission, the woman sighed and stood, leaving the purple haired girl as she walked over and snatched up the two boy's ears. Ignoring their whining, protesting and loudly used curses, the nurse walked them out of the hospital room, leaving the young chunin and Ami alone inside.

"…what's going on?" Ami asked, turning to look at the young man, "why'd they leave?"

"To give you time to mourn," The man answered, holding out a small scroll with her name on it, "This is for you…I'm sorry for your lose." Ami took the scroll from him slowly, not sure what he was hinting at, she watched him leave before opening the scroll and laying its contents out on her lap.

_To my beautiful daughter_

_I'm sorry to tell you like this Ami but I thought I should be the one to tell you instead of some insensitive chunin telling you bluntly and biasedly what happened to me. So I'm going to be the insensitive biased-ass you know me as and tell you what happened exactly so you don't freak out on some poor soul out there who has the misfortune of informing you of what happens._

_1) I'm dead_

_You're undoubted a shinobi by now so get used to it sweet heart, you'll be doing a lot of killing yourself soon too, another reason to get used to the thought of blood staining your hands. I'm telling you this because I survived the third shinobi great war on my own, without instruction or guidance or warning, I watched my teammates die one after another in front of me; I was never able to protect them or save them. I don't want you to be that clueless or helpless, it was bad enough I had to burry your brother, I don't want to burry you too._

_2) Your mother killed me_

_Yes she killed me, don't hate her for it, it was just a matter of time before it happened. I've played the role I did to keep an eye on her, to keep her safe for both you and her's sakes, I'm sorry if I made your life hellish in the process. I knew she was a shinobi from Kumogakure, I knew she was a strong and powerful kunochi, I knew her name is not 'Haruko Yanagi' as you believe it to be. I knew all this but I still loved her, I still chose her to be my wife and I chose her to bear me children, both male or female I didn't care at the time, I knew she was the mother of my children the second I laid eyes on her._

_3) I love you_

_You properly don't belief me and I don't blame you, but I do love you and your mother with all my heart, so much that I was unable to choose who to save and so I gave up myself. I dishonored my career, family, name, lineage, and village just so I could spend more time with you both, even if that time was spent under the disguise of being drunk and arguing so often echoes of the fight rang in my head the next morning. I do regret that I didn't find a better way of spending time with you both, I simply could not turn your mother in and I could not let her finish her assignment. So I acted the part of a drunkard, I cursed and fought with her on a daily basis… and I ruined your childhood because of my paranoia; I cannot ask for forgiveness._

_4) About your name_

_Your mother took you away from about a month after your brother died, she did it by reverting back to her maiden name and changing yours to 'Yanagi' as well. She believed that our 'cursed' name of 'Kyuushigi' was to be blamed for our son's death, she also blamed me for not being able to save him in time. I don't blame her for that one, it was my fault, I never should've told him to scout the area, and even if we were in fire country I never should've told him to do it… I can't forgive myself for that mistake and I won't ask you or your mother to forgive me. I messed up, I miscalculated and my mistake ended a life, several of them and one of them was your brother. You might not remember it but your brother loved you, he truly dotted on you, like you were his daughter instead of his baby sister. He couldn't wait till you were big enough to learn how to use chakra, he took all the responsibility of caring for you out of our hands. He taught you how to walk and talk, how to read and write; it was all his doing. He taught you so much and I missed every chance to witness it all…_

_The 'kyuushigi' clan are known as 'Dragan tamers' because of our mastery of all techniques related to 'dragons'. __Fire dragons, water dragons, earth dragons, mud dragons, __we have scrolls on how to perform all of them. There all kinds of scrolls in our attic, all dedicated to the arts of the dragons, from our ninjutsu, genjutsu, taijutsu to even our summonings… okay that last one is hidden somewhere in there and I honestly can't promise you that we have that one. Personally I think it's a hoax and rumor that was spread during the waring states era to strike fear into people but that's just my thoughts on the matter. I had wanted to teach you our special martial arts style but sadly there are two forms of, I know the male form and you are female so you must learn the taijutsu best fitted for you. I did not want to teach you the male forms because that was the same as wishing you were your brother and I did not want you to misunderstand my intentions._

_Remember our clan saying and never forget it: never let it be said that a female dragon is easy to tame_

_Be proud but not vain, strong but not blind and know that my love for you as is as great as the stars in the night sky_

_Sincerely _

_Me_

Ami didn't know when she started crying but she did know when a pair of familiar arms wrapped around her and pulled her into a tight hug. She cried over her Hokage's robes, no longer caring for his status, just remembering that he was her teacher and he was offering her comfort. She remembered him stroking her hair and squeezing her shoulders, rubbing her back and whispering sweet reassurances… and then her mind was blank as sleep ruled over her.

…

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…

**Thoughts are helpful**

**Opinions are wonderful**

**Helpful criticism is lovely! Just don't cripple me okay?**

**Please no cursing!**

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**Page 10**


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